P5: The Blackest Facets Of Justice
by Glacia92
Summary: Goro Akechi's difficult childhood has turned him into a lonely and distrustful person in pursuit of revenge against society's injustice. When he awakens to his powers, he sees the perfect opportunity to cleanse the world, falling himself victim to a vicious circle. However, how much can true friendship and love he so stubbornly refuses to embrace purify the blackest of souls?
1. Intro

**Yo everyone, and welcome to yet another story :) So apparently I just love hopeless characters in videogames, and feel the need to write a better ending to their story. Will it be the same for poor Goro Akechi? Stick around and you'll find out!**

 **Oops!1: spoilers, spoilers, spoooilers!**

 **Oops!2: English is not my first language! You have been warned x)**

 **Oops!3: I will try and upload twice a week, but a lot will depend on my work schedule as well as how much spare time I will have to write a new chapter. So bear with me :D**

 **Enjoy! :D**

* * *

He was pacing back and forth, restless and unable to concentrate on anything else despite the sound of heavy rain against his bedroom window. He didn't even seem to mind the large boxes scattered everywhere around him, all labeled to help him remember what they contained, or the clock on the wall chiming midnight.

The boy suddenly stopped, a dead-serious look on his young face as he instinctively squeezed the letter he had been reading mere moments before, the sound of crumpling paper resonating in the semi-empty room, and took a deep breath to calm down. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed to rest for he had his very first day of high school the next morning and couldn't afford to ruin the image of the diligent student with perfect grades he had so hardly built during the years ever since his mother passed away.

He therefore forced himself to put the letter on his desk and sit on a single bed placed against the wall just by the window, and looked once more at the mess that was his room. He sighed at the thought of how much work that would require, and mentally smacked himself for not tidying up before. The only excuse he had was the desperate research he had been conducting during winter, which had become even more relentless as he approached the truth. He shook his head with a bitter smile as he thought of all the crap he had been through because of _him_.

He lied down in bed, trying to ignore how hot in was in the room, especially now that he was forced to keep the window closed because of the rain. " _Still humid and warm as hell, though"_ he thought as he placed his arms behind his head for it to rest on them. As he stared at the ceiling above him, his thoughts ran once more to the man he had been researching about: Masayoshi Shido. An influential Diet representative. His father.

The boy felt rage boiling inside of him as he felt powerless: he finally had a name, and so what? What could he, a 15-year-old, ever do to prove he was the illegitimate son of a powerful politician?

Of course, he always hoped, deep down, that the man in question had regretted his decision to abandon his mother when she was still pregnant and was now looking for his son too. However, the brown-haired boy would quickly dismiss that thought, because he knew that Shido had enough tools and money to find him if he really wanted to. Besides, a _real_ man would never abandon a woman with child and let her die alone and in disgrace, while his son was left in an orphanage, swapping families every year or so.

No matter what, every single family he'd had had always given up on him, growing tired of his silent and lonely personality. They would be kind and understanding in the start, before turning angry at him and sending him back to the orphanage. The only ones who had been able to cope with his odd behavior were his current guardians, whom he had lived with for three years before deciding to move to his own flat in the heart of Tokyo, though he had been careful to choose a quiet neighborhood to concentrate on his studies and to avoid drawing too much attention to himself. The grades he got granted him the best scholarship a student could wish for, which allowed him to have enough money to live on his own. His life could be pretty good had it not been for the man that haunted him day and night.

"Masayoshi Shido" he whispered angrily "You'll pay for what you did to me and mom."


	2. The Fool's Gift

**Aloha! Here's a new chap for you ^^ I have decided that I will try and publish a new chapter every Tuesday and Friday, so I will see if I manage to keep up the pace :) Anyway, enjoy and see y'all on Friday!**

* * *

At 7:30 AM, he was already sitting in his chair, waiting for class to start. He had made sure to get up earlier than any other average student so he could claim his favorite desk, and it seemed his plan had worked pretty well. He was currently celebrating his victory with a small but pleased smile as he sat at the desk in the second row, the one by the window overlooking the school courtyard. The rest of the seats were slowly being taken by his classmates as they made their disciplined enter, looking extremely nervous. He made sure to study their faces and analyze their behavior as it was his customs, because he knew it would prove useful one day. One thing he had learned during his years at the orphanage and at foster homes was the importance of knowing other people's personalities: that way, it would be a lot easier to gain their trust and exploit their weaknesses to his own advantage.

He soon discovered that many of his classmates knew each other from before, probably having attended middle school together, or being childhood friends. He watched as they gathered in small groups and seemed to relax, knowing there were familiar faces around. After all, friends made everything easier.

He actually had to refrain himself from sneering at the very thought: " _friends. What are they good for?"_

His thoughts were interrupting by the sudden appearance of a solemn-looking man around his 50's, sporting a formal suit and a metal tag on his navy blue jacket with his name on it. The students who hadn't yet claimed a seat quickly scattered to find one as the teacher kept his eyes fixed on them, speaking only when everyone had sat down.

"Stand" he commanded coolly, and watched as the boys and girls before him followed his order. None of them seemed to be able to look in his general direction, and the teacher couldn't help but smirk slightly. "You're no longer in middle school being spoiled by adults willing to turn a blind eye when you don't meet your deadlines or make spelling mistakes. Yours is a most important age, and your education is our top priority as well as a duty. You won't be resting on your laurels during the following three years. This is where your future begins to take shape, and you have an obligation to do so yourselves, so we all expect you to study hard and do your best."

He had spoken in a strong, military-like tone as his eyes slowly scanned the students standing in front of him as if they were soldiers ready to be sent to war. All of them seemed nervous and inadequate, which always gave him an immense pleasure. It was only natural that his satisfied expression dropped when his dull, black eyes met the lively, reddish-brown ones of a student who was staring right back at him, his posture polite and relaxed, bearing an expression of interest and curiosity. For the first time in his long career the man felt the need to look away, so intense was the boy's gaze, as if he could pierce right through his very soul.

"V-very well, you may sit" he continued, clearing his throat "We will start with a quick introduction."

The man introduced himself as Mr. Ikeda, their social studies teacher before instructing each student to come forward and tell everyone their name. Mr. Ikeda watched as the pupils stammered while speaking, their gaze never leaving the wooden floor of the classroom. When it was the brown-haired boy's turn to introduce himself, the teacher instinctively shifted position and felt suddenly uncomfortable. The boy confidently stepped forward and stood politely in front of his classmates, his arms crossed behind his back after he had bowed down and offered a charming smile.

"Hi everyone, my name is Goro Akechi. Nice to meet you" he said. He had spoken in a soft and polite tone, and yet confident and never faltering.

Mr. Ikeda watched as the boys stared blankly at the teenager, while the girls exchanged a few excited comments as Goro Akechi returned to his seat. The man couldn't help but feel slightly overwhelmed by the boy's personality: he looked polite, charming and confident and never before had he encountered a first year who possessed such qualities. However, there was something... unsettling about the young man.

"Well, this is going to be an interesting year" he muttered to himself as he opened the register to confirm all of the students were present.

* * *

"Who's that guy?"

"Is he a new student?"

"He's a first year student, don't you see the tag?"

"Aww, too bad!"

Goro Akechi was sitting on a bench under a cherry tree which cast a refreshing shadow over him, shielding him from the hot sun. Even though it was April, Japan had been struck by a most unusual heat wave which would last for a couple more weeks, anticipating summer.

He couldn't really complain, he thought as he finished his okonomiyaki and tried to ignore the comments made by the girls passing by. If only his life weren't so messed up, he could probably enjoy the warmth of the sun even more, or even try and talk to the people around him. He couldn't really care about making friends and listening to their complaints about the huge amount of homework they got, or how they wished they had more money to eat proper sushi, however he liked when people praised him. It made him feel…important and accepted. His face darkened at the memory of his tormented childhood, as well as his desire to be acknowledged by his biological father. But how to do it?

"Uhm, excuse me. Are you Akechi-san?"

Akechi's train of thoughts was suddenly interrupted by a female voice calling his name. He quickly forced a polite smile on his face and pushed aside the dark memories of his past.

"Yes, it is me. How may I help you?" he answered softly, making the girl blush.

"I- uhm… everyone in my class says you're a first year living on your own. Is that true?" she asked again.

Only then did Akechi realize a small group of girls standing a few feet away by the cherry tree, apparently second years, who were staring at them in silence, an expression of expectation on their faces.

"Yes, it is true" he answered politely "But may I ask you who told you that?"

"Oh, it is just a rumor!" the girl was now blushing furiously, her voice stammering even harder at his question. "We heard some guys taking about it in the main hall during break."

"I see…" Akechi's voice trailed off as he curled his fingers into a ball and rested his chin on his fist, thinking hard. His brain was only vaguely registering someone speaking, but he wasn't really listening. He didn't know anyone in that school, nor had he talked to any students or teachers about his private life, so he was indeed curious to know how him living alone had already become the hot topic of the entire school.

"…Akechi-san, are you alright?" the girl asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

"Mhm? Oh yes, my apologies! I was just thinking" he chuckled softly. "Well, break is almost over. I'd better head back to class."

"You're so diligent, Akechi-san!" the girl praised while batting her long eyelashes at him. "If it doesn't cause you any trouble, is it ok if I come and speak to you again, sometime? My name is Tamiko Fujikawa."

"Not an issue at all, Fujikawa-senpai" Akechi replied with a smile.

"Oh, no need to call me senpai, Akechi-kun!" the girl insisted until he nodded and accepted to call her Tamiko-chan. Akechi was desperately trying to think of a way to escape from the group of girls who were starting to step forward and introduce themselves in an overly-excited manner, when the school bell finally rang, officially announcing lunch break was over.

"Talk to you later, Akechi-kun!" the girls waved at him, giggling excitedly and he was finally left to breathe again. He was used to having girls following him around and randomly introducing themselves because of his looks and his charming personality, and he kinda liked the popularity but at the same time he had to admit how annoying they all looked to him: all those stupid girls without a care in the world, whose biggest problem was matching the color of their shoes with the one of their school uniform. However, choosing to pander to them proved useful: he now knew that someone had somehow discovered he was living on his own and had decided to share this information with other students. It didn't really bother him that people knew about it. What really bugged him was the thought of someone purposely sticking their nose into his business and divulging information about his private life without his consent.

As he made his way back to his classroom thinking about the responsible person, a loud chime echoed throughout the otherwise quiet and deserted hallway on the third floor.

"What the…?" he muttered as he stuffed a hand in his pocket and fished out his smartphone "I thought I had put it into silent mode."

Akechi furrowed his eyebrows as he confirmed that his phone was, indeed, into silent mode. Maybe the sound came from somewhere else? Just as he was about to pocket his phone again and forget about the incident, his eyes scanned once more the screen. There was an app he didn't remember installing: the icon resembled an eye and just looking at it was unsettling.

"Where did you come from?" he said as he brought the phone nearer to take a better look. His sixth sense told him to delete the app immediately, that there was something weird about it but another side of him was simply dying to know what it was all about. " _Maybe it's a virus?"_ he thought, as his index finger was inches away from the screen, ready to tap on it…

"Akechi-san" a voice actually made him jump, as his eyes were forced to look away from his screen and straight ahead at the person who had spoken. It was Mr. Ikeda.

"Lunch break finished long time ago. If you do not wish to be late for your next class, I suggest you put away that phone of yours and head straight back to your classroom."

"Y-yes, sir. My apologies" Akechi bowed slightly and watched the large man walk past him and disappear behind another classroom. His eyes narrowed at the teacher as soon as he was out of sight: he never liked being scolded by others, particularly bossy adults. However, he forced himself to temporarily forget about the mysterious app on his phone and return to class. He would look into it as soon as last period was over.

* * *

When the bell rang signaling the end of that school day, Akechi quickly gathered his things and walked out of the building, moving fast among the crowd of students heading back home and chatting merrily. Now that they were outside again, they could no longer rely on the school's air conditioning and were therefore left to melt in the hot sun. Akechi tried his best to enact the role of model student by pretending the heat wasn't really bothering him, but when he felt a trickle of sweat running down his back, he decided to drop the façade and took off his jacket which he stuffed in his bag. He sighed contented as a gentle breeze caressed his bare arms now that he was wearing only his white T-shirt.

The train ride back home was much worse, though: even if the trains were equipped with air conditioners, the packed car he ended up in generated an unbearable amount of heat, and he was soon left to sweat again and almost gasping for air. Akechi was extremely relieved when he managed to get off the train once his stop was announced, and began walking back to his flat. When he opened the door, he was welcomed with the all too familiar smell of dust, as well as the sight of large boxes decorating every inch of the apartment. He would really need to start cleaning up soon if he didn't want to die suffocated, and left a note to himself on the fridge in the small kitchen to remind himself to commence "Operation: New Life!" as he liked to call it.

Akechi headed to his room, careful not to stumble on any of the boxes scattered around and dropped his bag, before opening the window and landing on his bed. He thought about taking a shower and freshen up but then he remembered that most of the towels and clothes needed to be washed, and he had run out of shower gel. Living on his own definitely sucked sometimes.

As a wave of boredom and laziness hit him, Akechi closed his eyelids and simply enjoyed the breeze coming in from the window. But wasn't there something he was supposed to do?

"The app!" he exclaimed, snapping his eyes open and jumping on his feet. He immediately opened the bag and retrieved his jacket, searching in its pockets to find his phone.

Ignoring the usual message from his guardians who asked him if he was done unpacking, Akechi returned to the main screen. He could indeed see the eye staring back at him, as if inviting him to tap on it. It was almost mesmerizing, and the boy could swear he had heard some kind of voice whispering his name.

"Am I hallucinating or something?" he frowned as he shook his head. "Must be the heat…"

 _Goro… Akechi…_

"What the hell?" the teenager almost dropped his phone as the voice sounded louder. He turned to look around his room, trying to locate the source of the sound but couldn't see anything. He focused his attention once more on the eye. Was it just an optical illusion or was the eye _pulsating_?

"Here goes nothing" he said firmly as he finally tapped on the icon.

Whatever Akechi was expecting to happen only left him wide-eyed and shocked. The boy watched as the world around him melted away and took new shape into a place he had never seen before: the square walls of his bedroom turned into a circular shape and the wooden floor shifted into cold stone. The window disappeared as he failed to realize in time that sturdy bars were forming from the ground, trapping him inside what looked like a prison cell. Akechi quickly shot forward, grabbing the cold bars and shaking the prison door in a feeble attempt to open it, but to no avail. Only then did he realize his clothes had changed too: his school uniform turned into an inmate one, with black and white stripes.

"S-someone… let me out of here!" he shouted as loud as he could.

"Lower your voice in the presence of our Master, Inmate!"

A girlish voice, sounding firm and assertive, silenced him. Akechi looked down and noticed two girls dressed as police officers staring back at him gravely.

"Who are you? What the hell is going on here?" he asked confused.

"Shut up, Inmate!" one of the girls hit the prison bars with her baton so forcefully despite her tiny physique that the noise echoed throughout the mysterious room for several seconds.

"Now, now Caroline, where are your manners?"

A deep, mocking voice spoke next, forcing the girl to stand straight and tear her gaze away from Akechi.

"My apologies, Master" she said.

When the two girls finally stepped out of his line of sight, a new figure could be seen: Akechi could say it was some kind of…man, he guessed? However, his face was unlike any he had ever seen, with a long nose, a horrible grin and crazed eyes boring right into his.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room" he said in an uncommonly deep voice.

The man paused as if waiting for him to say something, but Akechi was way too confused to speak.

"My name is Igor, and together with Caroline and Justine I will guide you to the path to your rehabilitation" he continued when he realized Akechi was not going to say anything.

"Rehabilitation?" the boy finally asked in a low tone, possibly more confused than before.

"It seems your life has been…unjust up to this point. I have therefore chosen you to reform the rotten society you live in" Igor nodded.

"What are you talking about?" Akechi frowned as he instinctively took a step forward. Walking seemed rather difficult, however, and he turned around only to discover his foot had been chained to a large metal ball.

"Show respect for our Master, Inmate!" the girl named Caroline yelled venomously.

"You are a prisoner of society, but with a strong will to fight for Justice. So may I suggest you do so" Igor continued as if nothing had happened.

"I… have no idea what you're babbling about" Akechi was starting to feel really uncomfortable now, as the man's unsettling eyes never looked away from him. It felt like that…person could see right through him, read all of his secrets and recall all of his darkest memories…

"You will understand very soon. I do hope you will enjoy my gift to you" he snickered, while the two girls turned once more to look at him.

"It is time you return to your real world, Inmate. Master has great plans for you" the girl named Justine said, in a much softer voice. She snapped her fingers and Akechi's eyelids suddenly felt heavy. When he reopened his eyes, he found himself lying in bed in his own bedroom.

"Was that… a dream?" he muttered as he sat up.

A sharp pain shooting from his left ankle distracted him as he bent down to lift the hems of his pants, revealing what looked like a mark left by some sort of cuffs. And then he remembered how he was chained to a metal ball in that weird prison cell. So it had been no dream! It had happened for real!

Akechi grabbed his phone and unlocked it: the same creepy eyeball was still lingering onto his phone screen, a dark aura surrounding it. That was no dream, no ordinary app and definitely not a virus: how could one play tricks with his head, anyway? He could always blame the heat wave, but the marks on his ankle were real, and so was the pain.

"Justice, huh?"

* * *

It took a lot of self-control for Akechi to concentrate in class and pay attention to what the teachers were saying. He couldn't stop thinking about the weird world he had been dragged into when he had tapped on the eyeball. Furthermore, his looks and the fact that he was already living on his own were attracting more and more people, who would simply approach him during breaks to exchange some words. But was it just his imagination, or were people walking past him lowering their voice while looking at him? Some were staring at him with a look of concern, others with what seemed like pity?

"Good day, Akechi-kun!"

Tamiko Fujikawa was smiling broadly at him and he returned the smile, despite the obvious annoyance he was feeling for having been interrupted while thinking.

"Good day to you too, Tamiko-chan. How are you?" he said.

Feeling suddenly bold, the girl sat down on the wooden bench beside him and began talking about how tough school already was for her. Akechi was just pretending to be interested, occasionally nodding or giving her an encouraging smile whenever she paused. He was waiting for the right moment to ask her…

"…But everyone was really impressed when they heard that you're already living on your own at such a young age. You're so brave, Akechi-kun!"

"About that" he interrupted in the softest tone he could muster "Are you really sure you don't know who spread this information?"

Tamiko looked away, blushing slightly and bit her lower lip. She obviously knew something, but was unsure whether to tell him the truth or not.

Akechi got a bit closer, taking her hand into his. He got the desired effect when the girl jerked in surprise and turned to look at him again.

"You can trust me" he whispered.

Tamiko remained silent for a few moments as if hypnotized by him, but then nodded firmly and spoke.

"I'm sorry I lied to you, Akechi-kun! Ikeda-sensei told us. He is very close to the principal and he can basically dig up anything he likes about students' backgrounds and personal lives. You wouldn't be the first person he's done this to."

"Tell me more" he encouraged her, his interest piqued.

"W-well… Ikeda-sensei used to be an army official before and has always been obsessed with discipline. If the rumors are true, I know he always makes sure to have enough information about his students to select the ones he considers 'worthy' of receiving particular attention so they can become someone important after school. I also heard he uses the same information to blackmail the students he doesn't really like."

Akechi listened intently to Tamiko's revelation, rage boiling inside him. So Ikeda was just another one of those crappy adults who exploited their position of power to do whatever they pleased…

 _Justice._

The word resonated in his head, spoken by an invisible voice and he remembered. He remembered the conversation he'd had with the strange man in that mysterious place, the Velvet Room.

That man, Igor, had said something about his own justice. Maybe he could tell him more? Maybe he could help him put a stop to Ikeda's abuse and even get his revenge on his father?

"There's… something more, though" the girl looked down, an expression of infinite sadness on her face "He also told us that you… that you are an orphan who never met his father, and your mother suicided when you were still a baby. Is it true, Akechi-kun? It's horrible…"

"It is true, but you don't need to worry about it. I am alright" Akechi smiled tenderly at her, though he was seconds away from crushing something, _anything_ in his line of sight. "Thanks for sharing this with me, Tamiko-chan" Akechi continued as he stood up to return to his classroom "I promise I won't confront Mr. Ikeda."

 _At least, not yet._


	3. I Am Thou Thou Art I

**Aaaahhh! I am SO sorry for not being able to upload this on Friday as promised. That's not a really nice start, is it? ^v^" My excuse is that I have had an incredibly long week at work, and came back home after 5 days spent in different hotels around Norway. I was so tired when I came back that I could only type a few words before falling asleep on my laptop, so I had to type this extremely long chapter today. I am still tired and didn't have time to edit this given its length, so I hope you won't find too many mistakes or inconsistencies! Also, I am not 100% satisfied with what I came up with, but could be worse, I guess x) Anyhoooo, at least you have a lot to read! Enjoy and let me know what you think: keeps me motivated! :D**

 **P.S. Thank you SO much to all of you who took the time to fav/follow and review! You're awesome!**

* * *

It was finally Saturday afternoon, and Akechi could say he had officially survived his first week as a high-school student. Somehow, that week had felt much longer, what with him becoming the main topic of conversation among others for being the charming and good-looking boy who lived on his own despite having grown up without his parents. Even though almost all of the school knew who he was, he had made sure not to exchange contact info with anyone: the last thing he wanted was being bothered by meaningless requests during his free time. And he most certainly didn't have time to waste around people he didn't care about.

He took a look around: some of the boxes had disappeared, and his room looked a bit more spacious now. He had made sure to unbox and fix some of his things after school during the past week, but there was still a lot of work to be done. But that could wait, because all he wanted now was try that mysterious app once more. What would happen if he did?

He took his phone, examining the familiar dark eyeball on his screen and took a deep breath before tapping on it once. However, this time the walls of his bedroom didn't melt away. No weird prison materialized in front of his eyes and his clothes didn't change. Also, there was no crazy-looking man grinning at him, or two wardens yelling at him. Everything around him was in fact perfectly normal, and Akechi was left staring blankly at his phone, waiting for something to happen.

He tapped once again on the app, thinking he hadn't applied enough pressure. However, after the umpteenth attempt, he decided that either the app was no longer working, or he was doing something wrong. Or maybe he really had imagined the conversation he'd had with Igor…

He lifted once more the hems of his pants, and was met with the sight of a purple bruise around his left ankle, confirming he had indeed been in that prison…

"Why won't you work?" he almost yelled at the phone, tapping furiously on it.

" _Please_ , _insert candidate's name_ "

"Huh?" he suddenly stopped at the sound of a dull female voice speaking. But it had sounded so feeble and distant…

"Saburo Ikeda" Akechi tried. Silence.

" _Candidate found. Please, insert location"_

"What?"

The brown-haired boy's heart was pounding a little harder now, as he desperately tried to think what to say next. A location? What did it mean by that? Could it refer to the place Mr. Ikeda consider most important to himself? Or to his purpose?

"Kitagata High" he stated, swallowing hard as he waited for the app to respond.

" _Location found. Please, insert distortion"_

"How many things does this bloody thing need before it starts working?" Akechi complained, but he was inwardly cheering. His heart was beating fast at each successful hit. The screen had turned completely black, showing only one sentence: "2 out of 3"

"Does this mean the distortion is the last information needed?" he asked himself, frowning. He paused, trying to think of the meaning of it.

Distortion… distortion…

"What does it mean?" he was growing more and more impatient as minutes ticked away with no results.

" _Distortion. Manifestation of one's darkest desires."_

The dull voice spoke again, providing a short answer to his question.

"One's desires? Does this mean I need to figure out where Mr. Ikeda stores his secrets?"

Akechi placed the phone on his desk, making sure the app was left open as he paced back and forth, thinking.

What could Mr. Ikeda's desire be? He knew nothing about the man, apart from him being an ex army official obsessed with discipline.

"Could it be… a battlefield?" he tried. An error message came from his phone.

"What about… a prison?"

Nothing.

"An asylum?"

Nothing.

"Dammit" Akechi cursed through gritted teeth. This was proving more difficult than he had initially thought, and all the euphoria he had felt in the start was fading away, replaced by frustration.

However, he decided he could try some more if he got any good ideas. If he didn't, he guessed he could always exploit his popularity to investigate further into Mr. Ikeda's life. He could ask some of the elder students to provide him with some information about him, so he could have a better understanding of the man's personality.

He forced himself to temporarily forget about the app, and focused on the messy room.

"Well then, time to clean up."

* * *

The damn sun was so hot now that not even the fully blossomed cherry tree was doing much to keep him cool, but Akechi decided to ignore the uncomfortable feeling of having his shirt glued to his torso as he waited. He had spent every single break between classes trying to ask some of the elder students about Mr. Ikeda, but for some reason they all seemed to be eager to leave as soon as the subject was brought up, refusing to provide any useful piece of information.

His lips curled into a smirk as he saw Tamiko Fujikawa walking across the courtyard to take a seat on her usual bench as she opened her bento box. He stepped away from the cherry tree and made his way to the girl with funny fluffy hair, for once sitting all alone. Just what he was wishing for.

"Good day, Tamiko-chan" he greeted her with a large smile. The girl was so startled she almost dropped her box, as her eyes shot up to meet his. The look of deep concern she was wearing mere moments before disappeared to be replaced by one of pure joy.

"Akechi-kun! I'd never thought you'd come and say hi to me" she replied, her smile so genuine he actually wondered how she couldn't see through his façade.

"Why not? We are… friends, right?" he retorted, hoping she hadn't noticed the mocking tone he had used at the word "friends".

She simply chuckled, moving further down the bench to leave him enough space to sit beside her. Akechi actually had to refrain himself from rolling his eyes as he silently complied.

"Tamiko-chan, I was actually wondering if you could tell me something more about Ikeda-sensei?" he asked her after eying her carefully.

"I see" was all she said in a low and disappointed tone. "Friends, huh? You just came to me to find out something about Ikeda-sensei. And I thought you were actually interested in me…"

"T-that's not true! I… do consider you a friend of mine!" Akechi tried to repair the damage sounding as sincere as possible, but no reaction came from Tamiko.

"Listen" he continued "Why don't we… go to the diner after school?"

 _Oh god, was he really inviting a girl out just to seek out information? What a waste of his precious time!_

His words seemed to be effective when the girl hummed softly for a few seconds, before grinning enthusiastically.

* * *

In a blink of an eye, he found himself in a packed train car and with Tamiko Fujikawa standing close to him. Too close for his tastes. She had apologized several times whenever she leaned onto him after a particular bump the train took, but the dumb smile she was wearing and the fact that, no matter how much he tried to move further away from her, she always managed to end up brushing her hand against his, suggested it was no accident.

"It is not an issue" he kept telling her with a smile, while trying his best not to push her away and head straight back home.

 _Just buy her a coffee, use some of your charm and she'll spill all of Ikeda's little secrets._

"We're here" he announced when they reached the narrow staircase leading upstairs to a small but cozy diner where most students gathered to study. The locale still seemed quite empty, so they managed to get a particularly nice table. A cute waitress approached them immediately and asked them if they would like any refreshments.

"Two coffees, please" Akechi said "Oh, don't worry Tamiko-chan, it's on me."

The waitress bowed slightly and left to prepare their order, and a silence full of expectations fell between the two teenagers, though their purposes were totally different.

Akechi decided to ask her some trivial questions about school and everyday life just to break the ice and show her he cared- even though he wasn't paying any attention to her answers. His eyes were fixed on the clock against the wall of the diner as each minute slowly ticked away…

"…and Ikeda-sensei said we will never make it to college if we don't start studying seriously."

The name of the man he was currently seeking information about brought him back to the present. Maybe this was a good opportunity…

"Here's your coffee. Please, enjoy it!" the smiling waitress placed the cups on the table and left after another polite bow. Tamiko grabbed her cup and started sipping from it.

"I really don't understand why people are so scared to talk about him." The words left his mouth almost without his consent, running purely on instincts. Tamiko stopped drinking her coffee as she slowly placed the cup back down on the table.

He wasn't sure how long it took for her to speak next, but something was telling him to remain silent and wait patiently, so he did.

"You… you really don't want to know, Akechi-kun" she whispered, her words almost unintelligible so low was the tone of her voice now.

"Try me" he said softly.

The girl in front of him looked down as she absent-mindedly turned the cup in her hands.

"He… he is a _monster_!" she finally confessed, a small sob escaping her mouth. Only then did Akechi realize she was silently crying.

"What the…?" he muttered, nervously taking a look around to make sure no one was staring at them. He leaned forward and lowered his head to try and meet her eyes.

"Hey, you can tell me, you know? I'm you friend" he encouraged softly.

"B-but please, Akechi-kun! Y-you must n-not tell anyone about t-this!" she was now sobbing even louder, and Akechi shifted uncomfortably in his seat, afraid that the diner staff would kick him out for making a girl cry like that.

"I promise. I do" he reassured her, trying to sound as calm and trustworthy as possible. _He was so close!_

Tamiko remained silent for a few minutes as she regained her composure and wiped the tears from her wet cheeks.

"I already told you how Ikeda-sensei likes to know as much as possible about his students to offer the ones he considers worthy valuable letters of recommendation. He has many connections and many have now become influential people thanks to him. But he chooses these people based on their families and the connections they have: if he can profit from it, you are surely granted a place in the most prestigious college in Japan! However, those he grows to dislike end up becoming the reject of society. The luckiest ones got a job at some local fast food, even if their grades were decent. I don't know what criteria he uses to discard the people he considers useless, but there is a rumor…"

Tamiko paused as her face turned grave. "…I have noticed how both girls and boys can get great letters of recommendation if they have an influential family member, however all the students who were rejected seem to be exclusively female ones."

Akechi frowned as realization hit him. Could she mean…?

"Do you have evidence?" he asked her, his voice sounding dangerously glacial.

"N-not really" she answered, shaking her head "But my s-sister… she used to be one of his students too, and she was bound to be an honor one thanks to her grades! However, after her exams she found out her grades had drastically dropped, and they never recovered no matter how hard she studied. She told me Ikeda-sensei asked her…to do something for him and she refused. That's when it happened."

"What happened to your sister after high school?" Akechi inquired, though anticipating her answer. Tamiko smiled bitterly.

"She's one of the lucky ones…" she said gravely, before pausing again. "Uhm, Akechi-kun?"

"Yes?"

"I think I will end up like my sister…"

The way she said it sounded so soft, as if she had embraced her fate already, knowing full well she was going to fall victim to the teacher's sick plan. Now, Akechi normally didn't sympathize with people because he was too focused on his own tragic present, but the resigned look on the girl's face somehow stirred something inside him.

 _"_ _Are you really going to let him get away with that?"_

He widened his eyes as the same voice he had heard several days before echoed through his head once more. _What was that just now?_

"Uhm, Akechi-kun? Are you alright?" Tamiko asked him when she noticed his reaction.

"I… yes, it's just… I'm sorry about your sister" he muttered as he tried to forget about the recent incident. "But why hasn't she talked to the police? Why haven't _you_?"

"Because, as I said, Ikeda-sensei has connections everywhere" she replied. "He is unstoppable. The school is his own theater to keep him entertained…are you going somewhere?"

Akechi stood up and grabbed his bag before leaving some money on the table. He had everything he needed now.

"You have been very helpful Tamiko-chan. I guarantee you that you will not end up like your sister."

He left her sitting alone at the table, wondering what in the world it had gotten into him.

* * *

One word. It had been that simple. He had gone straight back home, opened the mysterious app and said the last word out loud. He was now standing outside a majestic theater surrounded by a fenced green area, the overall architecture resembling that of an ancient Greek temple with tall and cylindrical columns supporting the rooftop. There was only one tall window at the top of the building, which sort of clashed with the overall layout of the building. A few steps led to a large door, the entrance.

He moved forward, deciding he would not waste precious time wondering where the hell he was, and what had happened to his apartment in the process. After all, last time he had asked questions, he had been told he needed some sort of rehabilitation…

He was simply accepting the fact that a mysterious alternative world existed, and he could somehow access it. And so, he forced his analytic mind to stop questioning and focus solely on their current surroundings.

He didn't meet any resistance as he pushed open the double doors and stepped inside a large room with light, marble floors and walls. Some leather sofas and a coffee table had been placed in the left corner, by a coffee machine. To his right there were the toilets and an emergency exit. In front of him, a grand staircase leading upstairs and what seemed to be a ticket office.

When he approached the counter, he pressed the Assistance button and waited for someone to come.

"Is this place really a different world? It feels so real…"

The sound of approaching footsteps could be heard from the other side of the glass panel which separated the counter from what looked like a small office. Akechi could make out someone's silhouette from behind the window leaving the office and heading his way.

The polite expression he had decided to use to charm the receptionist fell instantly when the employee finally turned around the corner and peeked out.

"Welcome sir. How may I help you?" he asked.

Akechi was fully aware of the fact his jaws had dropped, but he couldn't really care about it at the moment. He was too focused on the receptionist's face. He could definitely tell the man in front of him was, indeed, a receptionist judging by his clothes, but what startled him was his face. It was just…black. Akechi couldn't make out any facial features: no nose, no mouth, no cheekbones… He could tell it was a face because of its oval shape, as well as what seemed to be a pair of eyes? But they were yellow, and glowing… and carried no emotions.

"Sir?" the receptionist repeated, his voice sounded slightly worried and impatient.

Akechi blinked a couple of times and closed his mouth, shaking his head as if to clear it. "Ehm…"

"I see" the receptionist said "You are new. Then let me teach you the ropes." He momentarily disappeared under the counter and emerged from it after a few seconds with a plastic card he was offering Akechi.

"This is your membership card. It is individual and can only be used by you, so notify a member of our staff immediately should you ever lose it. Now, what is your name, sir? I need it for registration."

The receptionist was waiting expectantly for a reply as he stood by a terminal, ready to type in a name. Akechi was not stupid, though. He would not give him his real name.

"Eito Hirai" he said, choosing the first random name that crossed his mind.

"Sir, I guarantee you we value our members, and would never divulge private information. We will protect your privacy" the receptionist retorted, as if understanding the boy was using a fake name.

"Eito Hirai" Akechi repeated more firmly, and the other man simply nodded and typed his name on the keyboard. "You are now free to visit the upper floors. We kindly remind you that the seventh and eighth floors are off-limits, though and require a special permission from the manager himself to grant you access."

"What's the manager's name?" Akechi questioned, and the other man chuckled softly.

"Why, the great Mr. Ikeda, of course!"

Akechi wasn't really surprised when he heard the name, but the whole ordeal was seriously making him doubt his own sanity. Why was he in an expensive-looking theater run by none other than Mr. Ikeda, his social studies teacher?

"Thank you" was the only thing he said, and the receptionist bowed slightly.

Akechi climbed the stairs leading to the first floor, which was simply an open space with a large restaurant and a bar. A small crowd of people in expensive suits and dresses were sat at square tables, sipping colorful drinks and chatting merrily. Just like the receptionist downstairs, their facial features were missing, including their eyes. Their faces were pitch black. None of them seemed to pay him any mind, but the barman did keep staring at him with his yellow, glowing eyes, though… Akechi made sure to keep his card visible at all times: the last thing he wanted was to be considered suspicious and alert Ikeda.

A short corridor led to an elevator, and Akechi quickly stepped inside and pressed the second floor button. He knew, of course, that Ikeda was somewhere on the top floors, the very ones he wasn't allowed to access. As if he was going to follow some stupid rules, anyway…

The doors opened to yet another short corridor, though there were a lot more people who seemed to be waiting in line. Akechi made his way through the crowd, trying to see what they were queuing up for but a pair of robust arms pushed him back. A tall man in a guard uniform was blocking his way, and even though his eyes had no emotions behind them, Akechi could still sense the menace he radiated.

"Get in line!" he ordered brusquely. Akechi gave him a look of pure hatred as he was about to retort angrily, but then decided against it.

"I just wanted to see why they are lining up" he justified himself, shrugging his shoulders.

"Why, it's for the next show, genius!" the guard replied rudely "And why is a kid here in the first place, anyway? Are you accompanied by someone? This is no place for children. In that case, you should visit the third floor, where we offer shows suiting your age."

What the heck did he mean by that? Akechi quickly glanced at the people in line, and had to admit that, judging by their stature and clothes, they all seemed to be fully grown adults...

"Come now, kid. I'll escort you to the third floor." The guard took a step forward and reached out to grab his arm, but Akechi dodged him.

"I've got a membership card, and I am allowed to be here. I have only been told to keep off the seventh and eighth floors!" he complained defiantly. When Akechi showed him he did, indeed, have a card, the guard snorted. "Fine then. Then don't come whining to me when the show is over. And STAND IN LINE!"

Akechi watched him walk away and, once he was out of his line of sight, sneaked past the majority of the people still waiting patiently for their turn to cross the double doors ahead. Being much shorter and lighter, it was easy for him to cut in line. He stopped right behind a couple holding hands, who were apparently the next ones to be allowed in.

"Hey, when did you get here?" the man behind Akechi asked him.

"I've always been here. Did you seriously realize only now?" the boy replied with another question, his voice sounding so outraged the man simply nodded at him and remained silent.

The couple finally scanned their card against a portable machine another employee was holding, and they disappeared behind the double doors. Akechi got a glimpse of a stage facing rows and rows of armchairs.

"One more person allowed in. The rest please wait for the next play which will commence in twenty minutes from now" the employee announced. Akechi felt the crowd behind him getting impatient and frustrated by the long wait, but no one said anything. The employee gestured for him to come forward and he scanned the card.

"Enjoy the show, sir."

He finally stepped inside the stage room, which was almost full. The best seats had already been taken, so Akechi decided to sit as far away as possible from the others, in a corner to the right. People around him were chatting excitedly before silence fell over them when the lights dimmed.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen, welcome to tonight's show, an exclusive of Room Diamante!" Someone, a host, appeared on stage, frantically agitating his arms up and down to incite the crowd. Like all the others, his face was pitch black but he did have yellow eyes. Akechi couldn't quite understand why some of them did and others didn't.

"Now, since we received so many requests, we have decided to bring back last Saturday's show! Please, give our protagonists a big round of applause!" the host continued, as the crowd applauded loudly and whistled as soon as a group of new people made their entrance on the stage. Akechi's eyes actually widened when he saw the "protagonists" were all teenagers around his age. And they all had a proper face, but their lips were curled into an unnerving smile, and their eyes conveyed no emotions. Some faces looked familiar to him, and he finally recalled seeing them at his school as some of third year's students.

"…the hell?" he muttered lowly as he kept watching.

"This bright young man here" the host approached the first boy in line, facing the audience "is none other than the grandson of Kiyoshi Murakami, one of the most influential representatives of the Liberal Democratic Party, ladies and gentlemen! And over here…" he quickly moved further down the line and placed his hands on a girl's shoulders "This here, gentlemen… oh, she is a fine one! She can be anything you want, but don't forget to erase the evidence of your deeds after. I mean- she IS underage!"

The audience chuckled loudly, some men clapped their hands in approval and whistled. The girl's smile grew larger and, if possible, even more unnerving than before.

"Come on, candybar! Say something to the gentlemen in the audience!" the host encouraged her, bringing a microphone close to the girl's lips.

"I will satisfy any of my Master's desires" she declared, her voice flat and dull which contrasted even more with the creepy smile she was wearing. More cries of approval from the audience followed.

Akechi watched in shock as the host kept running back and forth, "interviewing" the kids and describing what they could be useful for. Most of them were boys coming from powerful Japanese families, the girls were, apparently, mere tools to "satisfy their Master's desires".

Akechi didn't need to ask for clarifications: he knew exactly what they meant.

"If this is indeed how Ikeda sees the real world, then it means he considers his students as tools to gain power, as well as getting some special favors from the female pupils in exchange of a letter of recommendation" he muttered to himself, as he felt rage boiling once more inside him.

The crowd all around him was becoming louder and louder, their laughter echoing through his ears and his head and the host continued with his show.

 _"_ _Goro Akechi… where is your Justice? How much longer are you going to keep quiet?"_

Akechi's hands curled into balls as a wave of raw hatred obscured all of his senses. The people's laughter kept resonating through his head, louder and louder…

"STOP THIS NONSENSE!" he shouted at the top of his lungs as he shot up to his feet.

The audience and the host fell instantly silent, Akechi feeling everyone's attention on himself…

The boy just stood there, feeling suddenly uncomfortable and almost regretting speaking up: he knew he was going to pay for his insolence.

"Who are you?" the host spoke from his microphone, his voice sounding three times louder in the now quiet auditorium "Who let you in?"

His sixth sense told him it was time to get the hell out of the hostile place, and he decided to follow his instincts by making a run for the exit.

"GUARDS, STOP THE INTRUDER!"

Akechi didn't even bother to look behind as he heard the uproar behind himself. He kept running, dodging the guards who were trying to make their way through the crowd still waiting for their turn to enter the auditorium, and chasing after him.

His heart was running a million miles an hour as he tried to reach the elevator and escape from the theater. However, Akechi could see more security guards running towards him from the elevator itself, and he didn't have any other choice but to open the emergency doors to his right, climbing the stairs leading to the third floor, since he could hear enemies approaching him from the area below him.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" he muttered through gritted teeth "How am I going to get out of here?"

His lungs were on fire as he ran as fast as possible across the hallway on the third floor, pushing the people standing in his way aside and ignoring their protests.

As his eyes frantically scanned for any possible escape route, he noticed a small room which read "Service Room", his attention caught by the petite figure of a girl around his age who looked extremely miserable. She was polishing the leather shoes belonging to an influential-looking man in an expensive suit, and their eyes briefly met. Akechi felt her desperation but he didn't have time to help her: he needed to save himself first. His attempt to flee was stopped by the sudden appearance of five more guards, one of them promptly lifting his shock baton and hitting his left cheek so hard the boy fell unceremoniously onto the floor.

"End of the road, intruder" the guard spoke in an almost amused tone "You can't really expect to make it out of here alive after causing such a scene."

Akechi groaned as his hand automatically went to massage his aching cheek. He simply knew he would get a nasty bruise.

"Now, now. This is not how you treat a guest."

A familiar voice suddenly spoke, and all the guards surrounding Akechi immediately stood straight and took a step back to let the newcomer through. Akechi froze when he saw who that was: Ikeda.

His social studies teacher, however, looked quite different from the one he was used to: his eyes were a bright yellow color which radiated malice, his lips curled into a quizzical smirk and he was wearing a red and black suit befitting a king, sporting military badges on his jacket.

"Well, well, well. Who do we have here? Akechi-kun, the bright new student of our prestigious school…" he said, his voice sounding mockingly delighted "I simply _knew_ this year was going to be particularly fruitful ever since I saw you for the first time."

Akechi decided to remain silent, his hand still placed firmly against his left cheek.

"Not so eloquent now, are we?" Ikeda mocked again, chuckling softly "Too bad you're an orphan, my boy. A total and useless zero. Because you've got quite the guts and the brains, if you ask me but I unfortunately do not have time to waste on worthless scum like you. However…"

Ikeda's voice suddenly changed from mocking to thoughtful, almost urgent.

"You must be quite special if you managed to access my theater" he stated simply "Now, let my faithful servants eliminate you. But I have to admit, I am undecided… very much. You do have some potential, after all. I could get some profit out of this…"

Ikeda seemed to be in deep thought as he kept muttering something under his breath. "Yes… Mr. Shido can make good use of this boy…"

"S-Shido?!" Akechi almost shouted upon hearing the name. "Masayoshi Shido?"

"It seems like you know your politicians, boy. I wasn't expecting anything less from a brilliant student like you. Yes, I can introduce you to Mr. Shido and you will use your ability to enter other people's worlds to carry out his plans" Ikeda continued excited.

Akechi pondered his possibilities for a moment: he now had a chance to meet his father and possibly get revenge on him. But what good would that do? His ability to enter these alternative worlds was of no use to him, and he didn't see how he could make his father pay like that. Besides, he couldn't let a bastard like Ikeda roam around freely, and keep on exploiting defenseless and desperate students to gain profit. Furthermore, if his father was cooperating with a man like Ikeda, the chances he was a good man were below zero.

This was not how Akechi's justice worked.

 _Justice._

His heart began hammering against his ribcage as the mysterious yet familiar voice rang through his ears once more.

"I think I'll pass."

"What did you say?" Ikeda gave him a surprised look as he watched the brown-haired boy slowly standing back up.

"I said… I'll pass" Akechi repeated louder. Even if he was powerless against all those enemies, his resolve was growing by the second as a wave of courage filled him.

 _"_ _You're on the right track. Just one more push…"_

"I will tear down this place piece by piece, and set free all the students you have enslaved!" Akechi continued resolutely.

"Don't make me laugh!" Ikeda snorted "What can a defenseless kid like you do to stop the most powerful group in Japan? Children should only be allowed to exist if they can contribute to making this country even better! Trash like you that think they can rebel against us rulers should be squashed like bugs."

Now he had had enough.

 _"_ _Right. Let rage feed your soul."_

The bastard would pay for that.

 _"_ _I am thou"_

"You are nothing but a filthy reject…"

 _"_ _Thou art I"_

"…a defect in an otherwise perfect society…"

 _"_ _Show him a rebel's true Justice!"_

"…and as such, you will be discarded."

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Akechi's inhuman screams of pain echoed throughout the hallway as a bright light engulfed him. He only got a glimpse of it, however, as his eyes were suddenly darkened by something covering his face. He brought his shaky hands to his face, touching the hard surface of what felt like some sort of mask. He needed to remove it. He needed to see again!

His fingers wrapped themselves around the edges of the mask, applying pressure to remove it but that only caused an intense pain to shoot through every nerve of his body. But the mask was slowly coming off, he could feel it. He just needed to hang in there a little bit longer…

He could feel his own blood trickling down his cheeks, and he could taste it when the drops fell on his lips. The pain, however, was mixed with an intense sense of euphoria and satisfaction and soon enough the mask fell off and he was able to see again. The first thing that came into sight was the terrified look on Ikeda's face. He was no longer smirking victoriously at him, but was slowly backtracking along with his guards.

Somehow, he felt different. He sensed a powerful yet friendly presence behind himself, but he didn't turn to look. For some reason, he knew exactly what –or who- it was.

"Let us show them what we've got, Robin Hood!" Akechi commanded, realizing only then his clothes had changed too: his school uniform had been replaced by white princely garbs, and he himself was carrying a laser saber.

He felt power coursing through his whole body and inebriating all his senses as the entity behind him revealed itself in all its glory, a bright aura surrounding it and holding its mighty golden bow.

"What the hell is that thing?!" Ikeda was shouting in fear, his body shaking violently "And why are you all standing there doing nothing? Go! Go!"

Ikeda's guards looked just as terrified and shocked as he was, but they decided to follow their master's order and stepped forward. Shortly after, it was Akechi's turn to be surprised for the guards disappeared in a puddle of red and black splashes, replaced by creatures which reminded Akechi of mythological nymphs. His surprised quickly vanished when he felt once more the power radiating from Robin Hood.

He couldn't even explain how he knew what it was, or what it was capable to do. He just knew it, as if it was an innate ability he'd possessed since birth, as if Robin had been his faithful companion all his life waiting for the perfect opportunity to show its face to him.

The creatures around them were many, but Akechi could sense their fear and insecurity. They were no match for him and Robin.

"Go, attack them! Kill them!" Ikeda yelled at the creatures as he turned to flee. Akechi wouldn't allow that.

"Now, Robin!" he commanded, just when the nymphs had commenced their assault. The majestic creature beside him simply nodded and lifted one arm as a wave of light filled the hallway and engulfed their enemies. When Akechi was finally able to see again, the creatures had all dissolved into thin air, demolished by Robin's immense power.

However, there was no time for celebrations: Ikeda had managed to escape during the mayhem that followed and Akechi needed to find him before he could plan a counterattack, or even report him to the police. As he sped up to reach the closest elevator, followed by Robin floating behind him, he wondered if the police even existed in a place like that. That wasn't his world, was it?

Akechi pushed the button on the panel on the wall and waited for the elevator to arrive. It was incredible how quiet the whole place was now after the short fight. The guests had apparently all run away to save themselves. The boy felt Robin's intense stare on his neck and he felt suddenly awkward.

"Ehm" Akechi started, without turning to look at the creature "Taking its time, isn't it?"

"Yeah" Robin nodded in agreement, but didn't add anything else.

"Right" Akechi muttered "Uhm, are you going to follow me to school, too? Because that would be a problem…"

"I can't be summoned into your world. But I can leave and be summoned again whenever you wish in this reality" the creature explained.

"That… would be lovely, thank you" Akechi replied awkwardly, as Robin simply nodded and disappeared. The elevator arrived with its familiar " _pling_ " sound.

Akechi couldn't be bothered to check the other floors: he had learned enough about Ikeda just by visiting one. He thought his students –and children in general- were simply a tool to gain money and useful connections, enslaving the other ones who wouldn't comply and even admitting he would get rid of those who couldn't be of any use to him. That sickened him, but what made him feel even worse was his connection with Shido.

It was apparently impossible to reach the seventh and the eighth floors by elevator, so Akechi pushed the button labeled with a "6". When the doors opened, he found himself in yet another familiar-looking hallway leading to other service rooms behind locked doors. Akechi could only imagine what was happening in there...

He soon encountered other enemies, all of them looking doubtful as if they were afraid to fight him.

"Come, Robin!" Akechi ordered, and the creature carrying the large bow appeared right beside him. Most of their enemies fell easily just like the ones he had fought mere moments before, others managed to run away just in time. Soon enough the sixth floor was clear of all enemies and obstacles, and Akechi could proceed further. However, after inspecting the floor multiple times he had to admit there didn't seem to be any way to access the last two floors. Akechi calmly pondered his options as his eyes quickly scanned his surroundings: there _did_ seem to be tall windows on one side of the building, and maybe he could reach the upper floors from the outside…

"Robin" he said softly, and the creature appeared once again. "Can you fly?"

The creature frowned at him, and he would have laughed at its reaction in other circumstances. Instead, he just waited for a response.

"Not really" Robin replied calmly "But I can give you a boost."

"Please, do" Akechi nodded, as he strode towards the windows overlooking the backyard of the strange place. He opened the window, feeling the breeze on his skin and particularly on the sore cheek.

He looked down first and then up: it didn't seem like Robin would have any problems helping him reaching the seventh floor, for there were no obstacles between one floor and another. However, the windows upstairs were closed…

Akechi and Robin exchanged a look before nodding, the former positioning himself a few feet away from the window, and the latter waiting to boost the other up.

Akechi ran towards the open window, then he jumped when he was close enough and felt suddenly floating in mid-air. He was about to curse loudly as he automatically looked down, his body losing height. Just when he thought he had just committed suicide in the most idiotic way possible, Akechi felt a pair of strong arms wrapping around his chest and legs and pushing him up. As he gained altitude, he drew his laser saber and smashed the window in front of him before grabbing the edge of the windowsill and lifting himself up.

Seventh floor. Somehow, he had managed to reach one of the two forbidden floors. At first, Akechi couldn't quite tell what was so different from the other floors he had previously visited, but soon enough he got his answer: when he turned around the corner, the whole environment had changed. There were no more stage rooms where children were forced to parade, or special "service rooms" for enslaved kids. The placed he ended up in looked more like a large archive, with rows and rows of lockers sorted in alphabetical order. Each row was labeled with a letter, starting with the A. Frowning with curiosity, Akechi headed to the first row, occasionally looking left and right for enemies. The coast seemed clear, so he continued to take a better look at the lockers. He opened the first to his left, which sported the letters "AB": a tall pile of files was stored inside, all seemingly belonging to students between the age of 14 and 18. Akechi picked the first document on top of the pile and examined it. It apparently belonged to a 16-year-old boy named Masahiro Abe, who had graduated high school three years before. _Kitagata High_. His high school!

Akechi frantically examined the other files, which all regarded students from the same school he attended. He noticed how on some of the files there was a small comment at the bottom of the page: "Not relevant. Discard." Did it mean those were students with no useful connections? _Discard_ …

As he assessed the situation, a thought crossed his mind: was his name somewhere there too? Curiosity was simply killing him, and he decided to open the locker with the letters "AK" on it.

He ignored all the other files until he finally found the one with his name on it: Akechi Goro, a picture of himself staring right back at him. Akechi's eyes instantly found Ikeda's comment at the bottom: "Clever and well-mannered. Troubled childhood. Potential resource or possible threat?"

"Definitely a threat" Akechi commented as he discarded the piece of paper and kept walking onward. He was now curious to see if Tamiko's name was somewhere there too. He stopped at the row with the large "F" letter attached to a pillar, and located the locker with the "FU" tag. There were three students with the name "Fujikawa". Ignoring "Fujikawa Yoshimi", who was a boy, Akechi found both "Fujikawa Tamiko" and "Fujikawa Naoko".

"Tamiko-chan's sister" Akechi whispered as he looked at the picture of the girl on the file, looking very similar to her younger sister.

"Rejected offer. Discard!" Akechi read the note scribbled at the bottom. "Seems like Naoko-san angered Ikeda." He turned to look one last time at the large room with the perfectly arranged lockers, a room where Ikeda could keep track of all the students he had, both the ones with potential and the ones he considered necessary to "discard" in real life.

Real life. Right. Akechi needed to find Ikeda and silence him before he could get rid of him in the other world, too.

And so, the brown-haired boy walked toward a narrow flight of wooden stairs leading to the last floor. Akechi could see the landing with a single door from where he was standing downstairs, and he knew that was Ikeda's office as well as the only place where he could be currently hiding. He climbed the stairs with resolution, the creaking sound they made whenever he took another step forward the only audible thing in the large area. When he found himself right in front of the door, Akechi realized he was not nervous or scared: after all, Ikeda was the one hiding from him, wasn't he? Which meant he, a teenager, was the hunter and Ikeda, the adult with all the powerful connections who had ruined the lives of so many, was the prey.

His fingers curled around the handle and turned it. Akechi was actually surprised when the door opened without problems: he was expecting Ikeda to sort of barricade himself inside.

The man in question was currently sitting behind a mahogany desk in his spacious office. A large Persian carpet covered most of the wooden floor, and rows of bookshelves were lined up against the walls. Behind Ikeda there was a tall window which filtered sunlight through the room. Akechi remembered seeing a window just below the rooftop when he had first arrived into the strange world, but would have never thought it could be Ikeda's office. But then again, he could never have thought what the teacher actually did in there in the first place.

The man jumped in his seat when the door to his office opened suddenly, revealing the one thing he feared the most: the brown-haired boy with reddish eyes and dressed in white garbs who was able to summon that monstrosity. Akechi didn't miss the look of raw terror reflected in the man's yellow eyes, which only served to make him feel more powerful and somewhat superior. _He was in control_.

The boy stepped forward as Ikeda stood up, both studying each other's movements.

"Listen, Akechi-san" Ikeda was the first to speak, breaking the silence "I can introduce you to people. With your brain _and_ your skills, I can make you become anything you wish. What do you say?"

"I say I don't need the help of scum like you to become what I want. I can do it myself" Akechi replied coolly, and observed with pleasure as Ikeda began sweating.

"B-but you can't!" Ikeda was now moving slowly around his desk, making sure he kept a safe distance from the dangerous young man "It will be impossible to do so alone! You have no one, right?"

Akechi gave him a questioning look, and Ikeda's lips curled into an uncertain smile, as he took a tentative step forward. "I know how hard it was for you to grow up alone. How tough it is for you to trust others. But please, let me help you…"

Ikeda had managed to get very close to the boy now as he spoke softly and Akechi's eyes darkened as a veil of sadness covered them.

"Yes, let me help you…" Ikeda continued paternally "…end your miserable life!"

Akechi only had time to snap out of his thoughts upon hearing the man's words, his tone shifting from sweet and understanding to cruel and ice cold, before Ikeda grabbed his saber sword in one quick move and aimed it straight at his heart.

"I have to admit you got me worried for a while. Never met someone like you, able to summon that… thing. How do you do that? I need to know!" Ikeda was breathing heavily but his grip around Akechi's sword was tight. He remained silent, his eyes fixed on his own sword.

"ANSWER ME!" Ikeda shouted as he pressed the tip of the sword into his chest.

"I… don't know. It just happened" Akechi replied trying to remain calm. He needed to summon Robin, but he was afraid to do so as long as a deadly sword was inches away from his heart…

"You useless brat!" Ikeda spat angrily "Think you can fool me? I am the master of this place, and I can end your life here and in the real world if I so damn please!"

 _End your life here and in the real world? So if one were to die here…_

"That monstrosity won't help you now. No one can help you. You were always destined to be a failure, since your father abandoned you. He must have realized immediately what a terrible mistake he had made. As for your mother… not even that bitch could love you enough to remain around, couldn't she?"

A raw wave of rage filled once more his senses, obscuring his reasoning as Akechi began breathing faster and his body shook with fury. His eyes widened at the man's words, and at this point he didn't care whether he got injured or even killed in the process, but he simply knew he needed to inflict as much pain as possible to Ikeda. And then he would kill him.

 _"_ _Kill. Kill. Kill."_

Akechi's fingers curled around the sharp blade pointed at his chest, his eyes boring fearlessly into Ikeda's bright yellow ones, and he watched as the triumphant smirk dissolved from his face, replaced by an expression of confusion.

" _Make him beg for mercy..."_

Akechi ignored the blood dripping from the gash on the palm of his hand, staining the expensive carpet they were standing on.

 _"…_ _And then drive him MAD!"_

"I am thou" Akechi said, earning another confused and terrified stare from Ikeda.

 _"_ _Thou art I."_

His heart was beating so fast he thought it would burst, but his voice sounded calm and somewhat soothing as he spoke the next words.

"Come, Loki."

Everything in his line of sight momentarily disappeared in a flash of blackness, and darkness engulfed him too. Akechi felt the same euphoria he had felt when Robin had first manifested, but it was somehow different. More _intense_. He felt like he could conquer the whole world, crush the unrighteous and cleanse the society covered up in shame.

The power he felt was so overwhelming he actually had to steady himself when darkness dissolved. He slowly opened his eyes, noticing immediately how his pure white garbs had been replaced by pitch black ones, with dark purple stripes and belts wrapped around his legs and waist. Furthermore, his vision was not exactly clear, as if something was blocking it. He slowly lifted his hands, now covered in dark gloves which resembled claws, and brought them to his face just to realize he was now wearing a helmet.

Judging by Ikeda's absolutely horrified expression, Akechi must look really threatening now. That, plus the fact that a new entity was floating beside him. Not Robin with his golden bow, standing proudly in mid-air and radiating a solemn aura of Justice, but a half-horse, half-demon creature with black and white stripes adorning its body and long horns protruding from its head. Loki was staring at Ikeda mockingly as it waited for further instructions.

"W-w-what the hell are you?!" Ikeda's voice sounded hysterical as he stumbled and fell backwards, landing painfully on the floor. As Akechi took a few steps forward, his lips curling into a malevolent smile, the man frantically turned his head left and right to try and locate the saber sword, his only hope. But with Akechi's new transformation, the sword had disappeared too and Ikeda was now left defenseless.

"P-p-please…" he pleaded, but his desperate cries only made Akechi's grin grow wider.

"Make him beg for mercy…" Akechi muttered as he remembered the words he had heard in his head. Loki nodded approvingly beside him, its red eyes still fixed on Ikeda, who kept shifting his gaze from Akechi to his creature and vice versa.

"I-I'll do anything… just please" he begged once more.

"Anything?" Akechi asked amused.

"Anything! Anything at all!" Ikeda awkwardly changed position, now knelt on the carpet and bowing his head.

"Well in that case…" Akechi smirked as he looked down at the man knelt in front of him "Be the first to taste my Justice."

Ikeda's head snapped upwards as his jaws dropped.

"Say goodbye, Ikeda-sensei."

The last thing Ikeda saw was the teenager's unsettling smirk and a pair of merciless red eyes before being lifted and violently thrown across the room, the sound of a window shattering echoing in his ears as he watched the sky above him. Then a loud thud and everything was over.

Akechi stood by the broken window and observed his former teacher's body lying lifelessly in the grass, sprawled in an unnatural position as Loki dissolved into thin air now that his job was complete.

He wasn't sure what one was supposed to feel in situations like this, but he could certainly say he felt… satisfied. He knew it was not right, that one was not supposed to feel _excited_ about someone's death but Ikeda had deserved it, right? Akechi had killed a person, but saved so many others so he couldn't be considered a murderer, could he?

The floor under his feet began shaking violently, making him lose his balance and almost fall out of the window.

"What's going on?" he frowned as he watched the roof above his head starting to crumble. There was no time to wonder what was happening: he needed to escape or he would get crushed. But would he make it out alive in time before the place came down? After all, he had managed to access the seventh floor by a window with Robin's help…

Akechi looked down at Ikeda's lifeless body once more, then examined the tall columns at the two sides of the entrance erecting from the ground level up to the sixth floor, where they supported a small roof. He guessed he could slide down the columns if he managed to jump down onto the small rooftop below. He studied the distance that separated him from his only way out and then jumped. For a brief and terrifying second, Akechi thought he wouldn't make it, that he had somehow calculated the distance wrongly as gravity pulled his body downwards and his legs missed the platform he was supposed to land on. But in one last desperate attempt to save his life, Akechi extended his arms and managed to grip the very edges of the roof. Both his hands burned with pain, particularly the one with the gash from his own saber sword, but he used all of his strength to remain dangling a little longer before letting go, only to wrap his arms around the massive column below, as if hugging it, and sliding down until his feet finally came in contact with terrain.

He ran toward the property's gates, turning to look at the crumbling theater one last time before leaving the damned place for good.

Akechi wouldn't even bother to ask why and how he ended up in his room after walking through the gate, but wouldn't complain either. At least he didn't end up in the middle of Tokyo sporting a bleeding hand, a painful bruise on his cheek, which was already turning dark, and scratches all over his body.

His clothes had returned normal too, for he was now wearing his school uniform.

He tried calling for Robin and Loki, but they never came so he guessed his powers only worked in the other world.

The adrenaline was wearing off and Akechi was beginning to feel dizzy and nauseous as he recalled the events of the day.

He had _actually_ killed a person. What would happen now? The police would surely find out, and he would be arrested, maybe sentenced to death. After all, Akechi didn't have any evidence that Ikeda was abusing students and he couldn't definitely go telling about the existence of an alternative world where he could summon creatures to fight for him.

First thing first, though. He went to the bathroom and cleaned up his wounds, then he changed into new clothes and decided to go for a walk to get some fresh air and help ease his mind.

He simply let his legs bring him to whatever place they wished, ignoring strangers looking at him curiously when they noticed the nasty bruise on his face. Maybe showing his beaten up face around wasn't really a good idea…

As he thought about going back home, however, his eyes fell on a mysterious gate which seemed to be floating in mid-air. No one else seemed to pay it any mind, though, and Akechi was seriously thinking he was going crazy. After making sure the passersby were gone, Akechi headed to the gate surrounded by a blueish fog and then realized someone else was there, too. His heart skipped a beat, thinking others could see the object that was not supposed to be there in the first place, but then he saw it was only Caroline.

"Our Master wishes to see you, Inmate" she said in her usual rude voice. Akechi blinked a few times, staring back at Caroline and then examining the door.

"Oh dear" the small girl rolled her eyes impatiently before kicking Akechi in the shin, making him double over in pain, and then pushed him inside.

The world was spinning around him, which only made his headache worse and so he shut his eyes and hoped it would end soon. When he reopened them, he was lying on something uncomfortable and hard. He sat up with a light groan, massaging his temples.

"We don't have time to wait until you feel better, Inmate!"

"Our Master has important business to attend to."

"Oh, give me a break" Akechi grunted as he slowly stood up, holding onto the prison bars for support.

Igor looked amused and extremely pleased as he stared at him, one leg crossed over the other and his head resting on the palm of his left hand.

"I am impressed" he said simply in his usual deep voice "Truly impressed. You managed to awake to two powerful Personas in one day."

"Excuse me?" Akechi asked with a false polite tone "I don't think I follow you."

"If you only shut up and let our Master speak, you'd probably understand" Caroline retorted sourly. Akechi simply rolled his eyes. He didn't have the energies to start a fight with the aggressive warden.

"A Persona is the manifestation of one's inner self whenever they decide to break the mask society imposes all humans to wear. Now, normally one carries a single Persona but you are special, Trickster. You can carry multiple ones given how complex you are. This is going to be so much fun" Igor explained.

"Huh? Do you mean to say I am not the only one able to call forth a… Persona?" Akechi inquired. He was feeling kind of betrayed, as he thought he was the only one ever existed to be able to summon a creature in an alternative world.

"No need to get all worked up about it. You _are_ , after all, the only one who can summon multiple Personas. You are what I like to call a Wild Card. The only one… so far" Igor answered, finishing his sentence with a chuckle that made Akechi's skin crawl.

"Do you have anything to ask, Inmate? If so, make it quick!" Caroline questioned him.

"Yes" Akechi nodded "What was that place? Ikeda's theater…"

"Ah yes. Your first Palace" Igor's voice sounded dreamy "It's a world only Tricksters like you can access, as well as the creator and Shadows."

"Shadows?" Akechi was trying to store all the new information provided by Igor.

"Shadows are the hostile creatures you met in your teacher's Palace. Every person whose desires become highly distorted can create a Palace where their other self rules, and they will normally have Shadows at their service because Shadows are attracted to distortions" Igor explained patiently.

Akechi wasn't sure he understood all of it, but it did sound legit enough after his little trip to Ikeda's so called Palace.

"What surprised me, though…" Igor continued, his voice shifting from mocking and amused to incredulous "…is the fact that your personality itself is distorted. Your first Persona is a hero of Justice and Light, while the other… my, my, boy. I am looking forward to seeing what path you will choose."

Akechi frowned at his words but decided to ask him a more relevant question.

"Ikeda's Shadow died…" he said in a half-broken voice "Loki killed him."

"You mean _you_ let it kill him" Igor corrected with an amused grin. Akechi fell silent.

"You killed your teacher's Shadow, the personification of his distorted desires. Your real teacher is still alive and doesn't have a clue about what happened in his Palace because he doesn't know he had one in the first place. However…" Igor gave him a grave and hard look "…When a person does no longer have a desire to pursue, their whole life becomes meaningless and pointless. Just like their Palace crumbles when you eradicate the source of the distortion, so does their life. You will soon learn the consequences of your choice."

"What do you…?" Akechi needed to know more, to know what Igor meant by that but Caroline and Justine now stood in front of him, blocking his line of sight.

"Return to your world, Inmate. Now you know all you need to know in order to continue on your path to _your_ Justice."

"Wait, I-"

He was staring straight ahead at a plain wall in a narrow alleyway, some passersby whispering as they looked at him questioning no one in particular.

Akechi bit his lower lip as he replayed the conversation with Igor.

So he was one of a few chosen ones who could access another reality where people's distortion materialized and created these so called Palaces. There, he could summon Personas who could help him fight malevolent creatures called Shadows and take down the ruler of the Palace to bring justice into the real world. Killing the ruler of the Palace didn't kill the same person in real life, but Igor had indeed said something about "consequences"…

"Whatever the consequences of my actions are" Akechi muttered under his breath "I now have the opportunity to get my revenge. With this power… I will become a hero of Justice!"

His lips broke into a triumphant smile as he stared at his hands, recalling the power he felt whenever he called forth his Personas. "Count your last blessings, dear father."

* * *

 **Just wanted to clarify one thing: in P5's universe, Akechi is the first to awake to the special powers, even if Igor speaks of the existence of others (because he has already planned on sending the gift of Personas to Akira in the future). So being Akechi the first and currently only Persona-user, Ikeda and his Shadows are oblivious to the existence of Tricksters, and the Palace's security is therefore lacking. It is the reason why Shadows in his Palace are so weak, as well as their creator: they would never expect such a powerful intruder to sneak in.**


	4. The Rise Of The Phantom Thieves

**Woot! Made it on time, this time! :D So, we will fast-forward a bit in this chapter, even if I have to admit it was extremely fun writing about Akechi's awakening and first Palace :) But if I wrote more about it, I would never finish this :D  
** **Also, I "stole" some lines from the game in this chapter (and a bit in the following ones too), which I find a bit boring and yet necessary. Please, bear with me ;)**

 **Aaand, last but not least, once again a big fat THANK YOU to all of you who fav/follow and write something nice to me. It really motivates me a lot when I read your kind words, so please feel free to let me know what you think!  
Enjoy! :D**

 **P.S. Most of you have probably realized, but this is a reupload after Daemon of Wrath noticed how I had messed up the TV station scene by reversing it. This is why I need a beta reader xD And since I am a perfectionist, I fixed it and am posting this again. I apologize for the inconvenience ;)**

* * *

Akechi would be lying if he admitted not being even slightly worried when a new week started. He kept vigilant and eyed the people around him with suspicion until he finally got to cross the school gates: everything seemed normal, with the students chatting happily before the start of the lessons, and others simply looking tired. He proceeded directly to his classroom, occasionally smiling at students waving at him, and took his usual seat by the window. He was supposed to have social studies on second period and he had no idea what to expect and whether to believe what Igor had told him: could it really be true that the person in reality had no idea about having a Palace, or what happened inside their very heart? And what had Igor meant by "consequences"?

Akechi sighed as his classmates made their entrance shortly before the start of their English class, and observed the other pupils complaining and whose biggest concern seemed to be wondering why they were supposed to learn a foreign language they would rarely use since they lived in Japan. If only he were born so lucky as to have a proper family that loved him, he wouldn't be in that problematic situation in the first place. Sometimes he still thought about Ikeda's last words, about how his mother couldn't love him enough to stay around and had taken the easy way out instead. Could that be true? Was he a cursed child undeserving of love?

He was so lost in thought that hadn't even realized the English teacher had made her entrance, and was now talking about the importance of constantly studying after classes to allow the brain to store information more easily.

"…now, today we will be learning how to introduce yourselves to a native speaker in a casual way. It is important to remember that, unlike the Japanese, Western people are normally not as formal and…"

Akechi looked outside the window and watched the sky darkening: the heat wave was officially over, and thunderstorms were in the forecast. Black clouds were gathering up as a light rain began pouring from the sky, tapping against the windows.

His mother had killed herself because she couldn't love him enough. His father had abandoned the family before he was even born, because he couldn't feel affection for his son. All the foster families he'd had were quick to send him straight back to the orphanage only because he hadn't been ready to open up just yet, and familiarize with his new surroundings. Why were adults so superficial and ignorant about kids' needs and feelings? And why was he the one suffering for their carelessness?

But he did have his powers, didn't he? He had Robin and Loki by his side, and he could easily access their Palaces to get his revenge. Oh, he couldn't wait for the day he would find Masayoshi Shido's distortion and eradicate it. Because his father _had_ to have one. Ikeda had sort of confirmed it, hadn't he?

"…Akechi-kun, are you listening?"

Akechi jerked slightly as he returned to the present, feeling everyone's eyes on him.

"Uh?" he looked around, realizing the teacher had asked him a question he never heard. "I am sorry, Aoki-sensei. I… am not feeling very well."

"I can see that" the teacher nodded solemnly "Maybe you should visit the infirmary. Would you like me to escort you there?"

"Oh no, I think I can do it myself. Thank you, Aoki-sensei" he replied politely with a bow of his head as he stood up and left the classroom. Once outside, though, he went straight for the courtyard in need of fresh air. He stood in the porch to protect himself from the rain and crossed his arms as he thought of what to do in case the police ever showed up.

"Akechi-kun! Shouldn't you be in class?"

Akechi turned to his right and saw Tamiko approaching him with a smile. The girl always seemed to show up in the worst possible moments…

"Tamiko-chan" he greeted her "I was not feeling very well and needed some fresh air. What about you?"

"Uhm, well apparently Ikeda-sensei called in sick today. Our class got canceled" she explained.

"Is it so?" Akechi muttered as his mind began to race: he had called in sick, which had to mean he was still alive. And yet, unwell if he couldn't make it to school. Was it because of what had happened in his Palace?

"Uhm, Akechi-kun?" she asked with an uncertain voice but when his eyes met hers, she shook her head with a small smile. "Nevermind."

* * *

Ikeda didn't show up for the rest of the week, and all of his classes had been canceled and students encouraged to fill the gap by studying in the library. Akechi, however, seemed to be one of the very few who actually used the room to get some homework done, while the others were simply speculating what could possibly be keeping Ikeda-sensei away for so long.

"Maybe he's got a terrible flu!"

"He's come to school with high fever and flue before, so this is definitely strange!"

"It's the first time he's been away for so long!"

Akechi was just about to solve a math problem when a student burst into the room, looking pale and agitated. "Guys, you've got to see this!"

With that, he ran as quickly as possible out of the room, yelling to whomever was nearby to "come and see".

Everyone in the library fell silent for a second, exchanging questioning looks, before standing up and rushing outside to see what was happening. Akechi got just as curious and followed the mass of students all the way to the school gates, where Ikeda was standing surrounded by both scholars and colleagues. The principal was in front of him, trying to talk to him but the large teacher didn't seem to be listening.

Akechi's heart was beating fast with expectation, not knowing what would happen next: would the teacher reveal what had happened in the Palace? According to Igor, Ikeda was not aware of it, was he? But could he really trust the mysterious man in the Velvet Room?

"I… I…" Ikeda stammered, his lips shaking with each word he managed to enunciate. "I am so sorry…"

He stopped mid-sentence as his eyes widened with fear and shock before rolling back in his head, painting the cavities white. A black, viscous liquid ran down his cheeks from his eyes as well as from the sides of his mouth and everyone took several steps back, screaming at the horrifying sight.

The social studies teacher only had time to bring a hand to his chest before falling to his knees and lying flat in the grass, motionless.

"Someone call an ambulance!" the principal bellowed as he knelt beside Ikeda, checking his pulse. "This can't be…"

"Everyone, return to your classes immediately!" some teachers were shouting, pushing the students back inside. Most of them seemed too shocked to move and only a few of them listened to the teachers' instructions and followed them back inside the school building.

Akechi was at a loss for words, his eyes fixed on the teacher's body lying face-down in a black pool staining the green grass. So that was what Igor had meant by "consequences".

"Akechi-kun"

He turned to see Tamiko once more, a dead serious expression on her face. She signaled for him to follow her inside and, with one last look at the teacher's corpse, he complied. The girl, however, led him to an empty classroom on the first floor and made sure no one was around before speaking.

"What did you do, Akechi-kun?" she asked with a hint of what sounded like betrayal in her voice.

"What do you mean?" he raised a brow at her.

"Ikeda-sensei. I highly doubt it is only a coincidence that he becomes sick and drops dead days after I told you all about his dirty secrets" she continued gravely.

"Are you accusing me of killing a teacher?" Akechi retorted trying to sound as outraged as possible. "To me, it looked like a heart attack. A gruesome one."

Tamiko shook her head a few times. "He said he was sorry… Akechi-kun, I believe he was confessing his crimes, but didn't get to finish."

"Yeah…"

"Please, promise me that you… you really don't have anything to do with all this" she said more softly.

"You know me" he lied in the sweetest tone he could muster "I promise."

* * *

 _[2 years later]_

 _"_ _And now for today's news: Minister for Transport confirmed his resignation yesterday evening after the umpteenth train accident that caused the death of 32 commuters, as well as severe injuries to other metro-users."_

Akechi was calmly sipping his coffee from a black mug, listening to the news on TV in the same old café he went to before school.

"Crazy stuff, eh Akechi-kun?" the barista was shaking his head, his eyes focused on the screen behind the counter as he washed the used cups. "What do these people do with our tax money, anyway?"

Akechi didn't reply anything, merely placing the mug back on the wooden counter and nodded.

 _"_ _Another mystery has struck Japan after Olympic medalist Suguru Kamoshida, and former PE teacher at Shujin Academy, confessed abusing his students multiple times over the years. A calling card, signed by a group named the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, had been previously sent to Mr. Kamoshida to warn him about his imminent change of heart. Police are currently investigating."_

Akechi's attention was finally piqued upon hearing the news. _A change of heart?_

"That's bullshit!" the barista laughed "Stealing someone's heart, as if that was possible, eh Akechi-kun?"

"Right. Well, thanks for the coffee. I have to go" the brown-haired boy stood up and grabbed his suitcase, which sported a large "A" letter on the surface.

Once outside, his phone started ringing.

"Hello?"

"What is this story about these Phantom Thieves of Hearts?"

Masayoshi Shido never bothered to show some politeness whenever he called him for a request. Sure, the first time the reddish-eyed boy had knocked on his door, well-mannered and charming, he had let him in and listened to what he had to say. And he had even smiled once or twice when the kid had told him all about his powers and what he was capable to do. At first, he thought the kid needed psychological help, but soon had to take it all back when the boy, Goro Akechi, had proved multiple times that he could, indeed, eliminate his enemies by accessing some sort of alternative world called Metaverse, which would end their life in reality too. And without leaving traces behind either. The teenager was his source of power and wealth, but Shido was no fool: the Akechi kid had never really explained exactly why he was willing to get his hands dirty for him. He never asked for money or some special favors, merely allowing him to occasionally appear on TV and promote his image as a genius detective who speculated about the mysterious deaths and psychotic breakdowns afflicting Japan. This way, Akechi had told him, people could never suspect that they were involved if they pretended to be working with the police on the case, and he could always leave false evidence behind to put them on the wrong track.

The kid was smart, too smart for someone his age, and dangerous, what with the powers he possessed. Shido would never really admit it, but he was deeply afraid of him especially because he never got to know what the boy really wanted from him. And because he had already seen those reddish eyes before, back when he was much younger…

"I do not know" Akechi replied "I have never heard of them myself before today. I will get to work as soon as school is over. I am pretty sure Sae-san has got more news for us."

"Do you _really_ need to go to school, today?" Akechi heard Shido's exasperated voice from the other side of the line "We have more important matters to attend to."

"My education is important, too. Besides, these Phantom Thieves of Hearts might simply be a scam. Or maybe we are worrying too much about them. No one said they can access the Metaverse, either."

"Umph, fine. But go and investigate no matter what. A group of thieves of hearts is the last thing I need right now!"

With that, Shido hung up. Akechi sighed loudly and stared at his phone. Part of him just wanted to get into Shido's Palace –where he had already been multiple times before to explore and find answers- and get rid of his father. But another part of him, patient and yet lethal, told him to wait a little bit longer, to gain Shido's trust and help him get to the top before taking him down with his very hands. And then make him spill all of his secrets, and admit all of his crimes. And then kill him.

Well, he was not too far away from his goal, he had to admit. After all, he had mastered his powers quite fast, and learned all that there was to learn about the alternative world called Metaverse, as well as humans' distorted desires. His fighting skills had improved exponentially since his first Palace two years before, and both Robin and Loki had maxed out their abilities. Sometimes, he didn't even need to give them orders: they were so much part of each other that he could command them almost telepathically.

But right now, something more urgent had gotten in the way: he needed to investigate these so-called Phantom Thieves. Could it only be a misunderstanding or a coincidence? Could he be simply overreacting? But even Shido had called him straight away, which meant this new group did seem to be a threat. Furthermore, the news said that this Kamoshida guy had confessed abusing students, which was exactly what his own targets did before succumbing in real life. And didn't Igor mention the existence of other Persona-users? Why had he never met them in the Metaverse, then?

"They must be new" Akechi considered. "Well, this is going to be fun."

* * *

During his three years of experience as a Persona-user, as well as hitman for a powerful politician, Goro Akechi had never failed to accomplish a mission. However, he was growing quite frustrated because of the Phantom Thieves. They were not very popular yet, if only among students, but the method they'd used to make Suguru Kamoshida confess was exceptionally similar to the one he was used to, with a sole exception: Kamoshida never had a psychotic breakdown, and neither did he die. How could that be possible? All of his targets had either lost their minds or had a heart attack. The way these Phantom Thieves dealt with the targets was a real mystery for him, and he hated not being able to solve one. Could it really have been only a coincidence? Maybe the Phantom Thieves weren't Persona-users in the first place…

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find enough answers, and even asking Sae Nijima, one of the best Prosecutors in Tokyo, proved to be fruitless.

The perfect opportunity came unexpectedly one evening after school, when Shido called him to discuss about a famous artist named Madarame, who was to open an exhibit in Tokyo the following day.

"I cannot even recount all the times that bastard has begged for money and never returned it. He has chosen the wrong person to try and fool. Find out if he has a Palace and make him understand what a grave mistake he has made."

"I will get to work straight away, Shido-san" Akechi reassured. "You'd better, kid" was Shido's sole reply before hanging up.

Akechi didn't even bother to get angry at his rudeness, but decided to research about Madarame to try and discover if he had a Palace.

An old man living in a shabby shack where he took in orphans with artistic talent to teach them all he knew, and supporting their education. Sounded too good to be true. Akechi had enough experience to tell when someone was fishy, and this Madarame was indeed.

It was extremely easy for him to access Madarame's Palace: he knew his name already, and he had found his address online. All that remained was his distortion. But really, what other place would an artist pick if not a museum? In a blink of an eye, Akechi was standing outside a shiny and luxurious one, guards patrolling the entire perimeter as people stood in line to buy a ticket.

"Well then" he smirked "Time to meet the star."

* * *

Just as he had thought, Madarame turned out to be a fool obsessed with money and popularity, and his sober life spent in a shack with orphans was nothing but a façade to impress the audience.

The old man had tried to stop him by sending a storm of guards his way, but Akechi had easily taken care of them thanks to Loki. So funny how Madarame's fear of an intruder had allowed said intruder to change his outfit and be able to summon his Personas. By considering him a threat, he basically guaranteed him an easy victory because he could now call forth his Personas. The old bastard had managed to run away as he fought the guards, but Akechi knew he had no place to hide. That he would eventually find him.

He was currently exploring the upper floors when he heard a guard shouting to another that there were intruders in the Palace. At first, he thought it was referring to him, but why use the plural form then? Besides, Madarame had already alerted the entire place about his presence, so getting so worked up all of a sudden sounded a bit suspicious. The two guards rushed outside and downstairs, and Akechi decided to follow them to see what had caught their attention.

Hiding in the dark corners of the Palace and moving silently, he finally reached the bottom floors, where five figures were currently fighting against a group of Shadows. Akechi frowned as he observed the intruders fight: they didn't seem to be particularly strong –or better, they had potential but were no match for him- but it did shock him when they all summoned a Persona each.

"Alright, Joker! Show them what you've got!" a boyish voice spoke first, sounding extremely pleased. At his words, a boy wearing a long, black coat and red gloves smirked and commanded his Persona to finish the enemies off.

"Ah! Piece of cake!" Another boy, wearing a skull mask and dressed like a punk, exclaimed happily.

"Say, Mona. Are we close to the Treasure now?" a girl, obviously the only one in the team, wearing a red cat-suit and with wavy blond hair asked the shortest member of the team, the one with a boyish voice. Goodness, that thing wasn't even a human, was it?!

"Not at all" it said, its large blue eyes looking up at the girl in the red suit "But we're definitely making progress, what with Fox joining us at the last minute."

"Glad to be of service" the boy with blue hair and wearing a fox mask spoke next in a soothing tone. The only one who hadn't said a word yet was the boy with the dark coat, who silently observed his teammates discussing while stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"A girl, three boys and a monster cat" Akechi whispered as he memorized what they looked like "These must be the famous Phantom Thieves of Hearts."

Should he confront them? After all, both Robin and Loki could take down those five noobs with ease, but at the same time that group made him extremely curious: they were Persona-users just like him, though they still needed to go a long way before they could even try and scratch him.

Proceeding through the Palace could be dangerous, because chances were he could run into them, and then he would be forced to fight them and kill them. And for some reason, he really didn't want to. He needed to know who they were first, and how they had acquired their powers. Besides, he was getting bored with the small targets provided by Shido, and these guys could turn out to be fun to fight against with a little bit of training.

With a smirk and one last look at their masked faces, Akechi turned to leave the room and, finally, the Palace itself.

* * *

"…We don't spend much time in this area so, why don't we relax and check out some shops beforehand?"

Akechi's attention was caught when he heard a familiar voice from around the corner, just as he was on his way back home from the TV station. He made sure they couldn't spot him as he hid behind a wall and listened to their conversation. Those guys… they looked extremely familiar…

"Oh, I know a place! I wanna go to that huge pancake-looking place we passed on the way here!" a boyish voice spoke next, sounding all excited "It looked delicious! What was that?"

The dark haired boy had a cat in his bag. And the cat… talked? Wait a minute, hadn't he seen a strange cat with big blue eyes talking to the girl in the red suit in Madarame's Palace? No doubt those were the famous Phantom Thieves…

"Akechi-kun, do you have a moment?"

Someone right behind him asked and Akechi lost track of the group of friends' conversation as the director asked him if he could attend another interview the following day at the same time.

"Sure, it shouldn't be a problem" he answered politely, though all he wanted was to get rid of the damn guy so he could go back to eavesdropping.

"…I think I'll pass on the puke rides" the boyish voice said flatly, and Akechi decided to make his entrance, looking as casual as possible.

"Excuse me, I couldn't help but notice your uniforms. Are you students of Shujin Academy?" he asked.

The three friends all turned to look at him, the blond guy answering first quite rudely. "Yeah, Whaddya want?"

"I happened to be passing by, so it seemed polite to greet you. We'll be filming together, after all" he explained with a small smile. "Ah, where are my manners? My name is Goro Akechi."

The blond girl and the frizzy-haired boy seemed to recognize him as the famous teen detective, but the punk-looking one didn't look that impressed. "What, you a celebrity or som'ing?"

Akechi's phone buzzed as he received a message from Shido. " _Nice job on that TV show today. Come ASAP, I have another target for you."_

"My apologies, I truly was just passing by. I must be going now. There's a briefing for tomorrow's recording that I have to attend. So, you're going to go have cake now? I missed lunch today, so I'm quite hungry myself" he forced a happy smile on his face as he asked the question.

The three Shujin students exchanged a confused look –or was that alarm he saw in their eyes?- and the punk one answered with another question. "Huh? Cake…? What're you talkin' about?"

"Oh, am I mistaken? I thought I heard something about delicious pancakes…" Akechi went on the defensive, widening his eyes. "No matter. Well, see you tomorrow!"

Had he said something wrong? Why had they looked like he'd just revealed something he was not supposed to say? They were talking about a pancake place, weren't they? The damn director guy had interrupted him and he had probably missed an important part of the conversation. But no matter, Shido had a new job for him and he needed to hurry if he wanted to finish it as well as the essay he was supposed to deliver on Saturday for his biology class…

"Can never be easy, can it?" he sighed loudly before jumping on the bus back home.

* * *

He knew he was going to regret accepting yet another offer to be the special guest for tonight's show. Even though teachers were kind and understanding, allowing him to skip some classes to work, his pile of homework was getting dangerously high, and he would soon need to pull an all-nighter if he hoped to keep up with the program and finish his exams with a brilliant score. Sometimes he surprised himself too, what with being so busy with his last year at high school as well as his job as a teen detective AND a celebrity loved by the public, and his life as a hitman during the night.

The stress levels were quite high, but Akechi simply loved being the popular detective everyone praised and admired. The fact that girls followed him to say hi or ask for an autograph could be challenging sometimes, but he liked that part too.

"Akechi-kun, whenever you are ready…" one of the stage coordinators told him kindly before disappearing behind the curtains that separated the backstage from the main stage.

Akechi could hear the excited chattering from the audience, already sat in the studio, and was reminded that some students were on a trip field to learn about show production.

With one last look at his own reflection in the mirror, he made his entrance, waving at the applauding crowd and smiling broadly at the girls in the first row that screamed his name.

"Thank you for taking the time to join us today, Akechi-kun. Your popularity is stunning" the host welcomed him with a big smile.

"Even I've found it to be quite a surprise" he replied shyly "It is a bit embarrassing though…"

"Moving along, we've been told there's a new case on your mind right now. Care to share, detective?" the other host, a woman, asked him.

"Ah, yes. That would be the scandal involving the master artist Madarame" he answered.

"Ah-ha! So you've heard of the Phantom Thieves too, haven't you Akechi-kun? Let me ask you, what do you think about them?" the male host interrupted enthusiastically. He hadn't meant to be rude, but Akechi still found irritating whenever people intervened before he was done talking. However, for the sake of his public image, he remained calm and polite.

"If they truly are heroes of justice, I sincerely hope they exist" he replied cheerfully, earning a surprised look from both the hosts and the audience. "But hypothetically speaking, if these Phantom Thieves _are_ real…I believe they should be tried in a court of law."

His statement came so unexpected that the entire audience actually gasped. "That's quite the statement. Are they committing crimes?" the host asked in a serious tone.

"Well, they are indeed taking the law into their own hands and forcefully judging people's heart. That is far from justice" he explained his point of view with resolution.

"You have a point. Amazing as always, Akechi-kun! I could listen to you for days! You have the most radiant charisma!" the host praised again and he smiled shyly.

"Now then" the female host continued "Let's try asking some students the same age as Akechi-kun about the Phantom Thieves!"

She stood about and began scanning the students' faces, intentionally ignoring the fan girls in the first row. She stopped somewhere in the middle, where a boy with glasses and frizzy hair was staring back at her calmly. Akechi observed as the host asked him about his opinion and passed him the microphone so that everyone could hear. What a funny coincidence…

"They are justice itself" the boy answered without showing a single trace of embarrassment. The audience gasped lightly.

"You say it with such firmness" Akechi stated "It's rather intriguing to hear such a strong acknowledgement. In that case, there's one more question I'd like to ask. If someone close to you, for example you friend next to you… If his heart suddenly changed, wouldn't you think it was the work of the Phantom Thieves?"

"They only target criminals" the boy replied confidently.

"Is that so?" Akechi smiled slightly "How can you be so sure?"

There was a short pause, before he continued. "Anyway, whether the Thieves' actions are good or not, I feel there is a more important issue at hand: the matter of how they change people's hearts. If they honestly possess that ability, it could be used for more than extracting confessions. It could be that what seems ordinary crimes are actually being perpetrated by these methods…"

"You know, you're absolutely right!" the host agreed, impressed.

"Please, don't misunderstand. This is all purely hypothetical. However, the existence of the Phantom Thieves would be nothing but a threat to our everyday lives" he clarified "Rest assured, though. I am already working alongside the police to help sort out this matter."

People applauded and cheered upon hearing his words, his _lies_ but he kept smiling politely at all of them as his interview came to an end with the spot break.

"You were amazing, Akechi-kun!"

"Please, could you sign this picture too? It's for my sis!"

"Do you have a girlfriend, Akechi-kun?"

He was instantly bombed with requests from the girls in the audience, but his eyes automatically fell on three teenagers heading for the exit: the boy with glasses and frizzy hair, a blond one looking like a punk and a girl with long, blond hair…

"I am so sorry, but I really need to go!" he excused himself and walked fast towards the three friends.

When he finally made it through the crowd, he discovered the boy with glasses was the only one left, but that would do, too.

"Oh, it's you!" he exclaimed as he approached him. The boy gave him a questioning look and stuffed his hands in his pockets. _Just like that Persona-user_.

"I just wanted to thank you for the interesting debate we had earlier. Few people around me are so willing to speak their minds as freely as you did. I feel like our discussions could prove quite fruitful. Would you mind talking with me again?"

The frizzy-haired boy simply stared at him for a few seconds, his gaze so incredibly intense, and then nodded.

"Thank you! I look forward to seeing you again" Akechi smiled and turned to head back to the backstage.

"Simply amazing, Akechi-kun! It is always a pleasure to have you as a guest! Look at the share we got during our live broadcast!" the director was exclaiming excitedly, showing him the stats for today's show.

Akechi smiled broadly, his façade dropping shortly after the crew around him had left to let him freshen up. If only they knew he was an impostor. His possessed no real investigative skills, and all of his assumptions were all based on the careful plans Shido made. If only they knew _he_ , the hero of justice, was behind all the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns afflicting Japan, as well as many of the murders of influential people that Shido wanted to get rid of, they wouldn't look at him like that. So adoringly…

But that boy, whom he was pretty sure was the guy in the dark coat he had seen in Madarame's Palace, wasn't afraid to speak up, or even contradict him.

Now, after reporting back to Shido what he had discovered about the Phantom Thieves since Madarame's Palace, his father had decided that they could prove to be useful by blaming the Phantom Thieves for all the mysterious crimes that Akechi was carrying out, and therefore forbid him from getting rid of them. As if he was going to do it anyway. Those guys made him exceptionally curious, particularly the whole "stealing hearts" part: how did they get the target to confess deliberately without killing it or driving it mad?

Then there was the "Treasure" part, too: the girl in the red suit had asked the monster cat about a Treasure hidden inside the Palace. In all his years of exploring the Metaverse, he had never run into a Treasure. Could that be the secret to their method?

No, he definitely needed to know more. He would occasionally approach the guys in real life, putting on his charming façade and would even go as far as befriending them in order to find out. There was no need to inform Shido…

* * *

 **Has anyone else noticed how Madarame reveals to the PT's that a black-masked guy was in his Palace, but the game itself never explained what business Goro had in there? He most likely had already heard about the Phantom Thieves by then, and yet couldn't have known their identities before. So I had to come up with this little ploy with Madarame owing Shido tons of money, and with the latter wanting Akechi to fix it for him. A bit weak, but couldn't come up with anything else :/**

 **The same with the conversation Goro overhears about the whole pancake thing. He can definitely hear Morgana talking about a "pancake-looking place", but doesn't that imply he also hears Ryuuji specify it's an amusement park? So how could he make such a stupid mistake as to believe they were going to eat cake? Ugh, these small details just kill me, so I tried to fix it by including the conversation with the director at the last second x)**


	5. Destined Encounters

**Finally, I can introduce Makoto's character! Also, I will mainly stick to the original plot but I will try and avoid simply writing a summary of it all, because I guess everyone knows what happens in the game. Right? Right?! So I thought I could mention where we are in the story but leave the details in the background and write more about social interactions between characters. You will probably notice upon reaching the second part of this chapter :) I am very satisfied with what I came up with, even if I am well aware that something like that never happened in the game. But that's why we have this awesome website, am I right? :D**

* * *

Being the student council president was never easy. Makoto Nijima, a third-year honor student, knew all about her fellow students' troubles, both at school and at home, and she was not only busy studying as well as applying for college, but also with trying and finding a solution to people's problems. If that wasn't enough, each time she came back home after a long day spent at Shujin Academy, she was expected to make dinner and clean up. Of course, she didn't really mind taking care of the apartment while her sister was at work earning money to support the two of them –as the elder girl so often liked to remind her. However, Makoto was starting to feel the weight of responsibilities and the tasks that people around her assigned her, never bothering to ask her if _she_ was okay with it in the first place.

Her sister, Sae Nijima, was a public prosecutor and spent most of her day at work. Sometime she would stay away from home for many days in a row, working on a particularly complicated case. Whenever she finally came back home to her, the elder sister would always be moody and nervous because of how stressed she was, but Makoto knew there was something else. It was not all about work, but she missed their father so much she would simply lock herself up in her room for the rest of the night, trying to find solace in her job. Makoto would never bring up the subject though: the last thing she wanted was to be yelled at, and be told that children were supposed to listen to adults around them and simply shut up.

Finally, to make matters even worse, the principal of her school, Mr. Kobayakawa, had suddenly summoned her to his office one day to give her yet another impossible task: investigate the Phantom Thieves, reveal their identities and report straight back to him. Apparently, he was convinced that these thieves of hearts originated at Shujin, and it was imperative someone put a stop to their actions for the sake of the school's reputation. She really didn't want to do this, but the principal had sounded so aggressive and even went as far as to blackmail her. She didn't have any other choice…

That Sunday afternoon, deciding it was a good day to visit some of the colleges she would like to attend after graduating high school, she got a text message from her sister, informing her she wouldn't be needing to make dinner for two, because she was supposed to meet Goro Akechi and discuss something about these Phantom Thieves everyone was talking about. Well then, another lonely evening thanks to the Phantom Thieves and Mr. Akechi. Seriously, couldn't the _brilliant_ detective manage perfectly fine by himself?

"Speak of the devil" she muttered as she spotted a mass of unruly brown hair emerging from the crowd of curious students. Her intense stare must have caught his attention, for the boy suddenly turned around and looked straight back at her. Their eyes met for a moment as they both stared at each other blankly, before he smiled at her and she blushed in embarrassment. Her distress grew even more as she saw him approach her from the corner of her eye.

"Hi there" he greeted "You're Sae-san's younger sister, correct? May I talk to you for a moment?"

"Is it about the Phantom Thieves… Akechi-kun?" she responded, suppressing an exasperated sigh. This was going to be no small talk.

"You're quite perceptive" he beamed "I was wondering if there were any points in common between Kamoshida's and Madarame's cases. There have been victims after all. The Phantom Thieves need to be pursued."

"You criticize the Phantom Thieves, yet you don't doubt their actual existence" she retorted more vehemently.

"Oh, you saw that show on TV. Well, many details become logical if I think on the premise that they do exist" he smiled again his perfect, charming smile. But that wouldn't work on her.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're enjoying this?"

"You may be right" he answered "Phantom Thieves that use calling cards and succeed in their crime…as the so-called "Charismatic Detective", it'd be hard for me not to see them as my rival."

"You have such high self-esteem" she sighed "So the Phantom Thieves are evil, and you are just?"

"Compared to people who manipulate others' hearts as they see fit, I believe I'm on the side of justice" he nodded firmly. Besides, I'm only using my natural-born talents for the sake of serving the world. Don't you think the same about yourself, too?"

"I…" but she didn't really know what to reply to that.

"…Oh, that's surprising" he continued, his tone sounding almost disappointed "So you're just the good-girl type of pushover."

She ignored his last comment, but couldn't brush off his words.

"Looks like it's starting soon. I guess I'll see you later, Nijima-san" he gave her one last smile and walked away, leaving her possibly even more miserable than she was before.

She couldn't even concentrate on the presentation provided by the representatives of the University she was trying to apply to, Akechi's words replaying in her head. " _So you're just the good-girl type of pushover_ ". That tone of superiority he used around others! Who did he think he was, anyway?

Her eyes automatically moved to the left and met the reddish-brown ones of the famous detective prince, who smirked at her. She immediately tore her gaze from him: that guy simply irritated her. Not only did he keep her sister busy at all times with his stupid assumptions, but he dared to judge others without really knowing anything about them! However, his words did make her wonder: were the Phantom Thieves really the bad guys? After all, Kamoshida had confessed abusing students, while Madarame had turned out to be a failed artist who exploited the talent of others to gain money. Yes, the Phantom Thieves "stole" hearts, forcing people to admit to their crimes and confess, but could their actions be considered punishable? Akechi affirmed one should never steal something, even in the metaphorical sense, without the owner's permission, but didn't the police act pretty much the same way? Whenever they broke into a criminal's apartment to arrest them, or confiscate illegitimate goods?

However, no matter her beliefs, she had a task to complete: Kobayakawa had been clear enough, and she had no other choice but to discover the Phantom Thieves' true identities. Now, where to begin? These thieves could be literally anyone! However, she did see that new guy on probation hang around with Sakamoto-kun and Takamaki-chan after school. And they all seemed to have had their reasons to hold a grudge against the former PE teacher…

She fished her phone out of her bag and stared at the screen, then tapped on the recorded audio files. There it was, the conversation between Sakamoto-kun and the others where he clearly admitted being a phantom thief. But should she believe him? Without a confession, she didn't really have any valid evidence: the punk might have simply been bluffing.

Her expression darkened: why was she supposed to do this in the first place? Why did she need to follow the principal's orders? After all, she really couldn't bring herself to believe the Phantom Thieves were criminals… And she was tired of being told what to do against her will.

"I need to look up the name of that new guy."

* * *

Black, frizzy hair, glasses that hid a pair of grey eyes and a carefree expression: Akira Kurusu was sitting politely in his chair, hands in his lap and his black and white bag resting in the chair beside him. Was it her imagination, or was the bag moving every now and then?

"I'll get straight to the point" she began, breaking the silence between them "Mr. Kamoshida and Madarame. Won't you tell me the truth behind the Phantom Thieves' incidents?"

The boy lifted his eyebrows looking bored, but didn't reply.

"Can't answer that?" she pressed "Ah, of course. There's no way you would admit to such things."

She then proceeded to the next phase of her plan, placing her smartphone on the desk between them and pressed the Play button.

 _"…_ _If someone else could help 'em, we wouldn't be doin' stuff like the Phantom Thieves to start with!"_ came Sakamoto's outraged voice.

 _Now_ , Kurusu-kun's eyes widened with surprise and horror, and she knew she had won.

"So, how do you corner someone into making them confess?" she crossed her arms and bore her eyes into his. He soon regained his composure though, and finally spoke for the first time in a calm tone.

"I have no idea" he smirked, crossing one leg over the other.

"Of course, I know what you're thinking" she continued relentlessly "This doesn't prove anything, right? But what would the police think if they heard my recording? If you confess the truth, I don't mind just leaving this between the two of us."

Kurusu-kun decided to keep quiet, simply staring at her gravely. That's when his phone starting to ring.

"Go ahead" she encouraged.

" _Hey, where you at? Takin' a leak? Let's meet up at the usual spot to hold our Phantom Thieves meeting!_ "

Sakamoto's voice was so loud she didn't even need to concentrate to hear what he had to say. The expression of pure horror on the boy's face was simply priceless…

"Now, won't you take me to your friends?"

* * *

Spending a Saturday afternoon lying in bed and simply relaxing was a real luxury for Goro Akechi. Normally, he would be sitting at his desk studying for the rest of the weekend to catch up on homework, but he had been extremely diligent and managed to finish most of it _and_ take down Shido's targets, too. Those moments of relax were more than deserved since his body ached from head to toe.

However, when he felt his eyelids were getting heavy, he decided to get up and take a shower: if he fell asleep now, he would never manage to rest properly during the night and it was not a good idea to start a bad habit. Feeling refreshed and clean, Akechi walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge only to find it almost empty: all that was left was a bottle of water, a can of soda and a few eggs.

He was seriously considering the thought of having some plain eggs for dinner, but he forced himself to grab the keys and go out to stock up on necessary supplies.

Though his legs would tell otherwise, Akechi really enjoyed walking around Shibuya as the sun set over the horizon, painting Tokyo in beautiful orange colors. He finally stopped at the local grocery store and bought the most basic necessities. When he was finished and went out, the sun had almost completely set and the street lamps had been switched on. The streets were getting busy with people going out to enjoy the evening after a long week at school or work, and he silently observed couples walking hand in hand, or groups of friends laughing together by the arcade. Akechi sighed loudly and forced himself to keep on walking, to ignore the lively chattering all around him. He didn't need anybody, not friends, not family and not a girlfriend. He was perfectly fine on his own.

Right?

He stopped suddenly, his eyes widening slightly with surprise when he saw a familiar face walking his way, hands stuffed in the jeans pockets…

"Uhm?" the boy stopped too a few feet away from him, and looked at the brown-haired guy holding a couple of heavy-looking bags in his hands. "You are… Akechi-senpai."

Akechi had to blink a few times before responding. "You remember me" he smiled "And you are… the student from Shujin I met at the TV station, right?"

The boy nodded quietly, before widening his eyes in realization and opening his mouth to speak again. "My name is Akira Kurusu."

"Nice to meet you again, Akira-san. Oh and, by the way, no need to call me senpai, really" Akechi chuckled lightly. "So you are meeting up with your friends?"

"No, not really" Akira replied "I just wanted to go for a walk."

"I see" Akechi nodded. Then silence. He knew there was not much else to say, and that Kurusu-san would go his own way, but for some reason Akechi didn't want him to leave just yet. He wanted to talk to him more, but had no idea what to say.

"Those bags seem heavy…" Akira hinted with a nod of his head "Need help?"

"Uhm?" Akechi's eyes fell on the two large bags he was carrying, realizing only then his arms –which had already been put to test during the whole week- were screaming in protest. "Ehm… well…"

"I'll take that as a yes" Akira smirked as he stepped forward and took the largest bag.

"T-thank you."

Good God. He couldn't even remember the last time he had thanked someone and _meant it_.

"So where do you live?" Akira asked as he threw the bag over his shoulder.

"Not too far from here. Follow me" Akechi answered and began walking toward the direction to his apartment. They spent most of the walk to his apartment in silence, with Akechi the only one speaking to occasionally update the other about the distance left to cover.

"Well, here we are" the brown-haired boy announced happily as he pointed at a shabby-looking six-story building in a dim-lit alleyway. "It's nothing glamorous, but it's all I can afford with my scholarship."

"Huh?" Akira frowned "You leave alone?"

"Yes. I took this decision together with my guardians, and luckily they said yes and fixed all the papers for me" Akechi explained as he unlocked the entrance door and held it open for the other.

"What about your parents?" the dark-haired boy asked again.

"Eh… I never met my father… and my mother… well, she died when I was but an infant" Akechi said sadly, but instantly forced a smile on his face. "But I'm managing quite fine, really."

"I'm sorry" Akira apologized, and he seemed sincere "I had no idea…"

"I know. Don't worry about it" the other grinned as he pushed the button to call the elevator. The ride up to the sixth floor, where he lived, was spent in silence, though Akechi was pretty sure Akira was still thinking about what he had told him.

"So, I live here" Akechi announced happily when he opened the door to his small apartment. He hadn't cleaned up in a while now, but at least it was not messy. He liked to keep things as tidy as possible, but couldn't really help the dust from covering every surface of the entire place. Seriously, he could fight Shadows no problem, but dust… _that_ was a persistent enemy.

"It's nothing special, really. And I apologize for the state it is in. I do not have much time and…"

"It's really cozy" Akira interrupted as his sharp, grey eyes scanned every inch of it. "I like it."

Akechi's lips curled into a genuine smile, the first one after years, and he thanked the other boy.

"Oh, here's the kitchen. You can just drop the bag there" he pointed to his left, where the small kitchen was. "May I offer you something to drink, maybe? I just bought tea and coffee."

"Do you have 1UP?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Uhm…" Akechi hurried to the fridge and opened it. It was the last can of soda he had. "Yup. Would you like ice cubes?"

"Nah, it's fine."

He quickly emptied the content of the bags and sorted the items in the fridge and on the different shelves in the kitchen, while Akira walked around the apartment to explore.

"…You have Goemon II?!"

Akechi placed the last pack of rice on top of a shelf and went to his room, where Akira was currently sitting on his bed holding a copy of an old videogame, the can of 1UP resting on his bedtable.

"Oh, that one" Akechi smiled "Yeah, but I never finished it."

"You're so lucky! I finished the first one, but never got to find the sequel in any shop!" Akira was eying the colorful game cover with jealous eyes, which made Akechi's smile grow even larger.

"You can borrow it" he said, shrugging his shoulders "I don't have time to play it, anyway."

"Seriously?" Akira's grey eyes finally tore from the game and bore into his darker ones. "It's quite funny to think the famous detective prince actually likes videogames..."

Akechi chuckled at his comment and went back to the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee.

A few minutes later, he returned to his room, where Akira was still examining his belongings.

"My gosh!" Akechi's features twisted into a disgusted expression "This coffee is… is…"

"…terrible?" Akira completed for him, and he nodded. "Maybe you should try Boss' one."

"Who?"

"Boss. He runs a café called LeBlanc in Yongen-Jaya. I live there" Akira explained.

"You live in Yongen-Jaya? That's not too far from here" Akechi tried another sip of his coffee, the bitterness stinging his tongue and he decided the content of the cup was going straight into the sink.

"I live in a café in Yongen-Jaya, yes" Akira clarified, earning a questioning look from Akechi.

"Wait… you live _in_ a café?"

The dark-haired boy nodded and smiled. "You will want to have a higher consideration of your apartment from now on. At least, you don't live in a public place!"

The two boys stopped to chuckle at Akira's words, before he continued. "So, how about tomorrow morning?"

"Tomorrow?" Akechi repeated surprised, forgetting he was not supposed to drink the coffee and cringing once more at the taste.

"Yeah. You can have breakfast at LeBlanc" Akira offered, finishing his soda in one large gulp.

"Oh…s-sure."

The worst part was that, for the first time in his life, Akechi was actually truly happy to have been invited to someone's place…

* * *

It was difficult to sleep that night. Akechi kept shifting position in bed, taking both off and on him the bed sheets and constantly opening and closing the window beside his bed. He was trying to blame the temperatures, either too warm or too cold, but he knew he couldn't deny the truth: the casual encounter with Kurusu-kun had turned into an enjoyable evening talking about school and other trivial things, and it was amazing how incredibly easy it had been for him to open up to someone he barely knew. There was something special about that quiet boy, and Akechi didn't only mean his ability to summon a Persona. It was his calm demeanor, his whole personality and something else he wasn't even sure about himself, but Akechi had felt truly happy for the first time in his life. Of course, he was happy when he was with Robin and Loki, but that was totally different: when he was in a Palace, he felt powerful and superior, which made him satisfied. When he was with Kurusu-kun, he felt at ease and relaxed. It was some sort of chemistry, the same odd phenomenon he had read about in various books or heard people talk about, and he had never really believed a word of it. And yet, here he was, unable to close his eyes despite how tired he felt, because he had been invited to spend the morning to a friend's place. _Friend_. Were they even friends? They had just met, after all. And yet, it sure felt that way, like they had known each other for much longer...

Unable to calm his restlessness, Akechi resolved to simply lie in bed and look up at the ceiling until he would fall asleep on his own. He checked the time on his phone one last time -1:35 AM- and mentally cursed. He was supposed to meet up at LeBlanc at 8:30 AM: it was going to be another long week…

…the blue fog wasn't normal, and neither were the chains blocking his path. He was trying to squeeze through them but there were just too many…

"…will you stay still, Inmate?"

"It seems he is agitated."

"Well, not _my_ problem!"

Akechi's eyes snapped open and he instantly sat up on the uncomfortable bed in the all too familiar prison cell.

"About time, Inmate!" Caroline greeted him in her usual aggressive tone "Although, I wouldn't have minded feeding you to my Jack Frost."

"Now, now Caroline. Show some sympathy for our guest. After all, he has quite the dilemma to solve…"

The two wardens turned to bow at their Master as Igor's intense gaze was fixed on him. Akechi desperately needed to have his back massaged, but couldn't do so himself since his hands were tightly cuffed.

"Dilemma?" he asked, mostly to try and forget about the backache he had.

"You have finally met other Persona-users like you" Igor nodded "Though the path they chose is the opposite of yours."

Akechi bit his lips nervously. He knew what Igor was going to say.

"The Phantom Thieves who so desperately want to reform society. And then you, a solitary knight with immense power who uses it for revenge. A confrontation is inevitable."

Akechi's eyes lifted to meet Igor's crazed ones. _A confrontation was inevitable_.

"…Am I… doing it all wrong?" he asked quietly, the question mostly directed to himself.

"Why are you asking if you already know the answer?" Igor chuckled mockingly. "Besides, the Phantom Thieves might be asking themselves the exact same question. After all, everyone is pursuing the Good, but that does not mean that their notion of Good applies to everyone else."

"Got it, Inmate?" Caroline asked him rudely.

"Did _you_?" Justine asked the other warden, making her blush furiously.

"I am looking forward to this" Igor's deep laughter rang in his ears as Akechi fell backwards and opened his eyes just to find himself in his own bedroom, sunlight filtering through the window.

It took a few seconds for him to remember, before grabbing his phone and checking the time: 7:52 AM.

"Oh crap!"

* * *

At least the trains were not crowded, because it was a sunny and warm day. And he was in a hurry.

 _"_ _Yongen-Jaya. This is Yongen-Jaya"_

He was finally there. Now, according to the directions provided by Kurusu-kun, he was simply supposed to go through the tunnel to his right and proceed straight for a few feet until he saw the café.

Akechi found it instantly, just at the end of the narrow alleyway with all the restaurants and a strange man trying to convince him to listen to the radio together.

The sign outside read "Open" and Akechi pushed the door, a bell ringing as he strode inside.

"Good morning" he greeted politely, as a man behind the counter turned to see who it was.

"Oh, good day. You must be Akira's friend, right?" the man smiled kindly "I must say, I never thought that dork would make friends with a famous detective, of all people! But please, have a seat. I will go and tell him to come downstairs."

Akechi did as he was told, sitting at the table nearest the door. He was still a bit stunned by the man's words: _"you must be Akira's friend…"_

Seconds later, Akira himself, followed by the man, came downstairs.

"So you made it" Akira said as he grabbed an apron to help the man.

"I guess I really needed some coffee" Akechi joked.

"So, what will you boys be having? Oh, don't worry, this one is on me" the man, who introduced himself as Sojiro Sakura, asked cheerfully.

"I'll take whatever you recommend, sir" Akechi replied.

"Coming right up!"

As he waited for his coffee, Akechi observed Akira assisting Sakura-san with it, and was surprised at how attentive they both looked. He had never experience seeing anyone being so detailed and careful about a cup of coffee. For some mysterious reason, the scene of the two semi strangers worrying so much about the taste of _his_ cup of coffee made his heart swell…

"Here" Akira returned shortly after with a cup for him, the smell of delicious coffee beans filling the entire place.

"Thank you" Akechi replied gratefully, and took a sip. Well now, _that_ was some seriously good coffee!

"This flavor…so rich and particular… it must be Jamaican Blue Mountain beans!" Akechi commented.

"Wo-ho! You know your coffee, young man!" the barista beamed with delight.

After finishing their coffee, regular customers began walking in and Akira signaled it was time for them to go upstairs.

"So this is your room" Akechi stepped into the dusty attic and looked around. Of course, it was still weird to think someone was living up there, but he couldn't deny the place was incredibly cozy and charming: Akira had decorated it with gadgets gathered from all over Tokyo like movie posters, plush dolls, a large plant and other weird things scattered all around. A cat was curled up into a ball on his bed, just under a large window which he kept open to make the room cooler.

As soon as Akechi was close enough, the cat opened its eyes and jumped on the windowsill and then outside in the back yard.

"That's Morgana, my cat. Don't mind him, he is not fond of strangers" Akira explained nonchalantly. "At least you can sit on the bed now."

"Honestly, I like this place more than my apartment" Akechi said truthfully as he eyed the desk with books and tools on it. "You said I was supposed to be proud of it, but now I am just envious!"

"Wanna exchange your apartment for my room? You can take my probation too, since we're there" Akira chuckled.

"Probation?"

"Yes" Akira's smile vanished from his face "I… uh- punched a guy in the face. And was expelled from school and sent here."

"What...? Why did you punch a guy in the face?" Akechi asked surprised.

"Because he was attacking a woman, and I intervened" Akira explained absent-mindedly.

"But that's so unfair!" Akechi actually felt outraged "You were just protecting an innocent person!"

"I apparently messed with the wrong guy. Don't ask me who that was, though. Can't remember" Akira continued as he fired up the game Akechi had lent him.

Akira was a skilled player, but the game itself was brutal and he had to repeat the same level over and over again. Watching him play made Akechi fill a bit nostalgic: back when he was younger and his hands unstained with the blood of others…

Oh, if only he had met that quiet boy a couple of years earlier, he could have avoided such a terrible fate! But he couldn't change his past and there was no point in backtracking now: he had made up his mind long time ago. He would get his revenge on Shido no matter what, and he wouldn't allow something as feeble as sentimentality to stop him. He didn't let his emotions show, however, but merely enjoyed watching Akira play and occasionally giving him a hint or two when he got stuck somewhere, until he reached the second half of the game which he never got to play.

"So what now, Akechi-kun?" Akira asked him, staring blankly at the puzzle on the screen.

"Uhm… I don't know, I have never gotten past the sewers so this is new for me too. Give me a second to think" Akechi replied, while he carefully examined the surroundings in the game. "Oh there, there is a key! It's super small but you can see it hidden under that barrel."

Akira retrieved the key and could proceed further in the game, stopping only when he reached a save point.

"Jeez, I'm tired!" the dark-haired boy exclaimed while stretching.

"You don't need to finish it today. Take your time, I'm in no hurry" Akechi smiled as he got up. "Uhm, it's getting late. I should really get going."

"Yeah, I am meeting up with Ann, Ryuji and Yusuke in Shibuya so I guess I should get ready."

Akira stared at him for a moment, as if pondering whether to ask him something or not, but then shook his head. "Well, thanks for today!"

"I should be thanking you for the hospitality. I sincerely hope we can hang out again sometime" Akechi beamed.

"My door is always open. I mean… Boss' door is always open" Akira chuckled as he escorted him downstairs, where Akechi whole-heartedly thanked Sakura-san for the delicious coffee.

"Uhm, Akechi-kun?" Akira stopped him suddenly by the doorway "I've been meaning to ask you something…"

"Fire away" Akechi winked at him and smirked.

"Well, since you work alongside the police… have you perhaps heard of a mafia guy in Shibuya threatening students? Many from Shujin Academy got in loads of troubles because of him and I was wondering if the police are making any progress."

Akechi eyed him for a few moments before answering. "I have heard about a gang offering part-time jobs to students that are too good to be true. However, we are far from learning the truth behind this gang. I myself, despite living not too far from Shibuya, have never seen anything suspicious going on, which makes me believe these activities are carried out during the morning, when most people are at work or at school. But may I ask you why you want to know?"

"I have a friend who got in trouble" Akira answered quickly. Maybe too quickly, which suggested he was lying.

"I see" Akechi retorted. "Well, I can promise you that we will be doing our best to put an end to this nonsense."

With a nod of his head, Akechi took his leave to head back to Shibuya.

He was really curious to see how the Phantom Thieves would deal with this new challenge.

* * *

 **One last thing before I forget again! I will mainly be focusing on Akechi's POV, but will sometime switch between him and Makoto, just to give you all a deeper insight of what the characters are feeling and thinking ;)  
And as always, thank you all for your support! :***


	6. 1 Of 3: Discovering Friendship

**What. A. Week! So we got a bird strike during take-off a couple of days ago, and all I could think about was "should I make the welcome announcement after landing or should I simply shut up?" and "We can't die now, dammit! I have a story to finish!", but it went smoothly and everyone got to return home to their families. Stupid birds turning themselves into grilled chicken club... At least you get to read more of this story xD I am still a bit stunned and tired, so I apologize if you find any mistakes. Enjoy! :D**

* * *

Life was certainly not boring with the Phantom Thieves around, and Akechi enjoyed observing their progress from afar, although he needed to be more careful next time. Another distraction caused by the group of friends, and it could cost him more than just a few scratches: his identity could be discovered, too! He was leaning against a wall of mafia boss Junya Kaneshiro's bank, smirking almost proudly as Joker landed quite a beautiful hit on a nearby Shadow when one of them spotted him, resulting in a superficial wound on his right arm. Luckily he had dodged the attack before it could be more lethal, but the incident had alerted the guards who, at the same time, informed Kaneshiro himself about the presence of a "black-masked intruder."

Well, at least he had got to see Makoto Nijima's awakening. He was quite surprised when he had seen the introverted girl walking through the double doors of Kaneshiro's Palace with the Phantom Thieves themselves, and he started wondering if Akira's "friend in trouble" had just been Nijima-san all along.

A few of Shadow Kaneshiro's words and there she was, ripping the mask off her face, the red color of her eyes replaced by a bright yellow one, and Makoto Nijima was suddenly riding a blueish motorbike and teaching those Shadows a lesson with her Persona's nuclear powers. He had to admit that girl was much stronger than he had originally thought, and she had finally found the strength to riot. Oh, he would give anything right now to see Sae-san's face if she only knew what her sister had become…

Oh, the irony! That's why he never got bored in a Palace if the Phantom Thieves were there, too.

Riding her motorbike straight against the entrance doors, Makoto Nijima created an emergency exit for herself and the others and they all escaped from the many Shadows that Kaneshiro had sent after them. But Akechi knew they would be coming back. They believed too much in their justice to let a little bastard like Kaneshiro get away with it.

So, he had been observing the Phantom Thieves for a while now and ascertained that they were getting stronger, and the group larger. If his assumptions were correct, Kurusu-kun was their leader and had most likely started the whole Phantom Thieves thing together with the monster cat, the girl named Ann and the punk-looking boy called Ryuji. Then, Yusuke Kitagawa joined them when they infiltrated Madarame's Palace, and now Makoto Nijima just had her awakening, too. So, in theory anyone possessed the ability to call forth a unique Persona as long as their will to rebel against society took over. The revelation disappointed him immensely, because he had always thought that only few, chosen ones had the power to summon a Persona. But he was special, wasn't he? Igor had told him he was a Wild Card, which meant someone with the extraordinary ability to summon multiple Personas.

But he had seen Kurusu-kun with different Personas too! The first time he had used a Persona called Ame-no-Uzume, and Akechi was pretty sure he was using a different one in Kaneshiro's Palace. Did that mean Akira was a Wild Card too?

The thought made him both angry and somehow proud, but he couldn't explain why: Kurusu-kun and the others were his enemies, right? Shido had told him they would be using the Phantom Thieves' name to accuse them of provoking the infamous mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns once their popularity boosted.

Of course, his sense of justice told him it was wrong to accuse innocent people of something _he_ had done, but Akechi was too blinded by years of loneliness spent planning his revenge on both his father and society. He could barely tell good from evil anymore…

And yet sometimes, when he was lying in bed after committing yet another crime, Goro Akechi would remember that Sunday morning spent with the dark-haired boy sipping delicious coffee and playing Goemon II, forgetting what he was and the things he had done, and simply enjoying the normal life of a normal teenager.

A life that every boy his age shouldn't be denied to have, and that he was undeserving of.

* * *

"How do they do that? I've been working on this case for months with no results! Then these Phantom Thieves suddenly show up again and save the day!"

Sae Nijima was currently pacing furiously across her office, her hands tucked behind her back while Akechi sat in a chair, his arms crossed over his chest as he pretended to be thinking hard.

"If we knew, we'd be heroes" he replied with a small smirk that –he knew- irritated the prosecutor so much.

"That's a very constructive comment, Akechi-kun. Thank you very much" she retorted angrily and then paused, her expression turning worried. "I am concerned about my sister. She is only a child and I am afraid she can be influenced…"

Akechi stared at her blankly, and almost felt pity for the elder girl: unbeknownst to her, her sister had already been influenced to the point of no return.

"Don't worry, Sae-san. Your sister is a big girl" he said simply.

"And how do you know that?" she asked suspiciously.

"I know more than you imagine."

* * *

July the 13th was approaching way faster than he had anticipated, and soon enough he was buried under tons of books and notes to prepare for his mid-term exams. It didn't help having Shido sending text messages almost every day, as if the man enjoyed watching the teenager's stress levels reaching an alarming peak. Akechi was really wondering why Shido wanted so many eliminated: after all, most of them were small targets that had no chance to hinder his rise to power.

The 12th night, after returning home past midnight for spending the whole evening in a weakling's Palace, he was feeling so exhausted he flopped onto his bed and fell asleep immediately, forgetting to set his alarm. He woke up with a startle and instantly reached out to grab his phone, falling off the bed in the process. Muttering curses under his breath, he rushed to put on his uniform and ran outside without even bothering to eat anything. He arrived just in time for his first day of exams, fully aware that his hair was a mess and his clothes all wrinkled.

The first day of exams was English, and he felt confident enough for he had mastered the language when he was still a small kid. Of course, there was the second part of the exam which required them to have basic knowledge of both political and cultural matters in foreign countries but he was not worried.

He was the first to turn in his exam sheets and returned straight back home to get ready for Social Studies. The second day would be the worst since the subject was a combination of multiple ones like Geography, History, Politics and Economics. However, being surrounded by politicians and police officers every day of his life was starting to pay off. Math and Japanese were scheduled on the third day, and Home Economics –the most useless subject in his opinion and yet mandatory during the last year- on the fourth and last day.

Ironically enough, Home Economics was the subject he struggled in the most: it was all about family life _and_ it was mostly a practical exam, so he had no idea what was expected of him. After all, unlike the other students, he had never had a proper family and could only rely on what he had read in the books suggested by the teacher.

" _Describe the importance of family, and its role in the society"_

He was pretty sure his perfect image of honor student and Ace Detective would forever be scarred if he started laughing bitterly without an apparent reason at the first question on the paper, as well as tearing the sheet of paper apart.

He decided he had no other choice but to stick with the definition of family and its function as described in the book.

For the practical part it was required of each third-year student to prove their cooking skills. Now, Akechi would say he was far from being a master cook, but living on his own for three years had taught him enough for him not to starve to death. His chicken teriyaki had surprisingly impressed the teacher who was praising his excellent culinary abilities, and he earned more adoring stares from his female classmates.

"Oh Akechi-kun, the woman you will marry will be one lucky lady!"

"Is there something you _can't_ do, Akechi-kun?"

He chuckled shyly as he rubbed the back of his neck, but all he really wanted was to yell in their faces he had no intention to get married or cook some damn chicken teriyaki for the kids he'd never have.

At least that meant he had passed the most feared subject and was finally free to breathe for a while.

" _Come to my office. We need to talk."_

No, he would take it all back. He never had time to breathe…

* * *

Shido knew perfectly well Akechi had just finished his mid-terms exams for his last year, but didn't even bother to ask him how he had done. Why would he care, anyway? He didn't know he was his father, did he? And even if he did, Akechi would bet his life he wouldn't ask anyway.

The cocky man was facing the large window overlooking Tokyo from the top of the building, his hands tucked behind his back as he spoke.

"Have you ever heard of Medjed?"

Akechi frowned at the unexpected question, and then replied with a yes.

"Aren't you a clever boy" the man chuckled evilly "At least that will spare me the bother to tell you who they are."

He finally turned to look at the younger man, still standing disciplined behind his large desk. "Now listen closely, boy. The plan to help the Phantom Thieves become known all over the world will officially commence."

"W-what?" Akechi was actually surprised to hear him say it. "Why would you help them become popular?"

"Because, if you were as clever as I were, you'd understand that my intention is to make them famous world-wide before taking them down by accusing them of the murder of Kunikazu Okumura."

"Huh? The president of Big Bang Burger?" Akechi frowned "Why him?"

Shido shrugged his shoulders, looking indifferent. "Because I chose him as my next target. After all, I can't afford him to run for the presidential elections."

"So your plan is to make people believe they are heroes and then bring them down by accusing them of killing president Okumura" Akechi summarized, unable to hide his bitterness. "Very nice."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you don't quite like my plan" Shido smirked. Akechi couldn't hold the intense gaze and diverted his eyes.

"What is it, boy? Are you growing fond of the Phantom Thieves?" Shido asked, his smirk growing larger.

"No!" Akechi retorted more vehemently than he had intended "It's just… it's a dirty trick."

"We've been playing dirty for nearly three years, young man. What's so different now?" Shido asked again, visibly amused.

"…Nothing."

Shido observed him for a few moments before continuing. "Don't let your curiosity get the best of you. I understand you are willing to find out more about the people that possess the same powers as you do, but one false move and you may… regret it."

At Akechi's questioning look, Shido chuckled again. "I… _trust_ you" Shido made sure to underline the verb "But don't force me to spy on you. Now, just so you know. I have hired a group of hackers who will pretend to be the famous Medjed. And then we will assign the Phantom Thieves an impossible task against an invisible enemy. And of course, they _will_ succeed because _you_ have to make sure they do so…"

* * *

Shido had really thought about every single detail of his plan, and Akechi had been forced to listen to him and nod quietly: the terrible plan had an equally terrible ending, for Akechi was required to get the leader of the Phantom Thieves arrested and then kill him. In real life. That would be his first "real" murder. Normally Akechi wouldn't have minded because his soul got irreparably damaged long time ago, but for some strange reason he really didn't want to go along with the plan. He knew it was necessary for him to get his revenge, but at the same time it didn't feel… right. What was happening to him? Never before had he questioned his own actions, and this was definitely not the first time he exploited others in order to obtain what he wanted. So why was he having second thoughts now?

A small voice inside his head was trying to answer with a " _Because Akira is your friend_ ", but Akechi knew it was wishful thinking. After all, he didn't even have his contact info! Drinking a cup of coffee and playing a stupid game together for a day didn't qualify as establishing a friendship.

So why the heck was he feeling such a strong bond with the quiet boy?

He really needed some fresh air.

He walked around Shibuya without a set destination until he reached a crowded area, and he noticed how people were dressed particularly nice. Many were clothed with traditional Japanese yukatas. Only then did he remember today they were celebrating a summer festival with fireworks in the heart of Shibuya. Well, he couldn't care less. He needed a quiet place where he could think in peace. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he crossed the street until his eyes fell on a group of teenagers around his age who seemed to have gathered for the festival. His heart skipped a beat when he realized they were none other than the Phantom Thieves themselves enjoying a festive day as normal students. They all seemed so happy, chatting and laughing as if they didn't have a care in the world.

Akechi suddenly felt the need to be part of that group, and talk and laugh and live his life to the fullest just like they did. Before he even knew it, he was a few feet away from them…

"Oh, hello there" he greeted with a smile, and the five friends all turned to see who had spoken. They all remained silent as they stared back at him blankly, probably waiting for Akira to make the first move.

"Hi" Akira replied, but he was not smiling.

"Are you here for the summer festival too?" he asked, pretending their cold behavior was not affecting him.

"Ain't it obvious?" the punk-looking one that he knew was called Ryuji Sakamoto retorted quite rudely.

A pair of deep blue eyes emerged from Akira's bag as a black cat stared at him suspiciously.

Akechi quickly scanned each one of their faces, their expressions distant and reluctant, and he felt suddenly very stupid for stopping to say hi.

"I…guess" he frowned as he instinctively took a step back, almost as if expecting them to attack him any time.

He knew he had stated multiple times that the Phantom Thieves were to be arrested and judged for being criminals, and that they considered him an enemy for that reason, but it was still a shock to receive such a cold response, particularly from Kurusu-kun. It sort of… _hurt_.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Nijima-san asked "To me, it doesn't seem like you were planning to attend the festival, judging by your…outfit."

Akechi's eyes automatically examined his own clothes, realizing he was wearing a pair of jeans and a plain, black long-sleeved shirt he normally used as a pajama top when it was colder.

"N-no, indeed" he chuckled softly "I was just taking a walk."

"That shirt…" Kitagawa-san was eying his clothes with great interest, and crossed his arms over his chest "…it looks like it can be improved. Maybe with the right pen…"

"Shut up, Yusuke" Takamaki-san retorted, elbowing him in the side and causing him to groan.

"Listen, not to sound rude or anything…" Sakamoto-san continued "But why d'you always come and say hi to us? It's not like we attend the same school or som'ing."

"I- well, neither does Kitagawa-san" Akechi tried to defend himself.

"Yeah, but Yusuke is our _friend_ " Sakamoto retorted quickly, and Akechi opened his mouth only to close it immediately after. He really had no reply to that.

"You're right" he said simply, pretending once more his words hadn't really affected him. That they hadn't hurt. "I guess I will be taking my leave and let you enjoy the rest of the evening."

Maybe it had been only his imagination, but he could swear Kurusu-kun was trying to repair the damage when he opened his mouth to say something, but Akechi was already walking his own way, putting as much distance as possible between them.

He had been a fool to think, even for a second, that Akira Kurusu considered him a friend, or that he could be part of the Phantom Thieves. And he had been a fool to question his actions and decisions. From that moment onward, he would be following Shido's plan without further distractions.

* * *

"…Maybe we overdid it?"

Makoto was the first to speak after Akechi had left, visibly taken aback because of their aggressiveness.

"Eh, no way!" Ryuji brushed the matter off with his usual carefree attitude. "That dude is all over us!"

"Maybe this will teach you something, Akira" Morgana had now fully emerged from the bag and placed his paws on Akira's shoulders.

"What do you mean by that?" Ann asked with a frown.

"Well, this guy apparently spent a whole evening at the _Ace Detective_ 's place, and even invited him for coffee the following day" Morgana explained, the memory of Akechi stepping into the attic still bothering him.

"What?!" Ryuji could barely believe what he had just heard. "Dude, you serious? Why would you invite bloody Goro Akechi to your place?"

"I… don't know" Akira shrugged his shoulders, unable to look at his friends in the eye.

"Wait a minute, everyone" Makoto intervened "May I actually ask why you all want to avoid Akechi-kun? I mean, yes he is a detective investigating the Phantom Thieves, and he wants us locked up in jail, but why all the hate? It could prove useful to befriend him…"

Everyone exchanged a knowing look and then Morgana spoke. "Makoto, you'd better not trust that guy. He is not what he seems."

At her questioning look, the cat sighed and continued. "Pancakes."

"Excuse me?" Makoto was not sure she had heard correctly, but Morgana proceeded to explain what had happened during their field trip to the TV station.

"Wait, so he can hear you?" she asked, her eyes widening as realization hit her. "Which means he is a Persona-user too!"

"That's not all" Yusuke shook his head. "Think about it, if someone hears Morgana speak in the Metaverse, they can hear him in reality too. That means he must have seen us in a Palace at a certain point, but he never approached us. Why?"

"Because… oh my gosh" she diverted her eyes, her brain working fast…

"Yes" Ann nodded gravely "We suspect he is the infamous black-masked person behind all the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns."

"But that's… that's impossible! I mean he is…"

"He is what?" Ryuji laughed bitterly. "Charming? Polite? A detective? That is the point of it all: people like him always have some skeletons in the closet."

"But why aren't we doing anything, then?" Makoto insisted "We can wait for him in a Palace and confront him!"

"We have no idea what his true powers are" Morgana retorted "If he really is the one behind all the mental shutdowns, it means he must be incredibly powerful, and even our powers fused together may prove insufficient. What's more urgent now is to find out why he is acting all friendly around us in reality. He must have an ulterior motive…"

"I dunno, guys…" Akira finally spoke, looking conflicted "As Morgana said, I did run into him by chance and helped him out with some bags back to his place. He seems like a pretty normal guy and he… I dunno, maybe he's just a really good actor."

"What other explanation could there be?" Ryuji asked him.

"Maybe" Akira's intense grey eyes bore into those of his comrades "he simply needs friends."

* * *

Makoto's late dinner was resting on the large table in front of her, smelling delicious and looking inviting, but she had lost her appetite. All she could think about was the revelation about Goro Akechi's true identity. The charming, well-mannered honor student who cooperated with her sister was none other than the true culprit himself. And why was he doing such terrible things at the age of 17? He was still a child, damn it!

Had he simply gone mad? Was he seeking revenge? Or maybe attention? After all, she didn't know anything about him other than what he let on on TV.

Furthermore, he knew exactly who the Phantom Thieves were and all of their true identities but he had never reported them to the police. Why? Wasn't he the one saying he would do his best to deliver them to justice? The fact he hadn't yet made a move, either against them or in their favor, bugged her like nothing else ever did before. It made her believe he was not working alone…

And then there was Akira's testimony: he had admitted spending a whole evening and a morning with Akechi alone, and yet the latter hadn't so much as hurt one hair on his head even if he had the perfect opportunity.

" _Maybe he simply needs friends_ "

Akira's words still rang in her ears, but what to believe? After all, Akechi was extremely popular and she didn't doubt he had many friends.

After thinking thoroughly, she came up with three conclusions: either Akechi-kun was being forced to do what he was doing, or Akira was right, or he was completely mad. Or maybe all of the options were correct. What a mess…

Now, she knew she was supposed to study hard for her finals as well as for her college entry, and she knew she was busy enough with being a member of the Phantom Thieves, but curiosity was taking the best of her. After all, investigating Akechi's real intentions was a duty in order to save innocent people. And possibly themselves.

* * *

The news of a group of hackers under the name of Medjed challenging the Phantom Thieves had spread out, and was all Akechi heard wherever he went. It was the main topic at train stations, at restaurants, bars, and basically wherever people gathered to talk. After hearing the name "Medjed" for the one-hundred and seventy-eighth time that day, Akechi lazily pushed the "off" button on the remote control and threw it on the sofa across the room. Shido's plan had finally commenced, and all he was required to do was wait and observe. It would take quite a while before he could go back to action, but he didn't mind: for once, he could enjoy the summer. Besides, it was starting to get too hot to do anything else. Interviews on TV were more than enough, thank you very much.

However, he was indeed curious to see how the Phantom Thieves, who were nothing but a group of teenagers with mediocre fighting skills, would deal with a powerful group of hackers hired by Shido. Of course, they would not be facing the real Medjed, but the menace was real and it was their biggest target so far. The whole world was talking about it, and they must be feeling the pressure. Furthermore, their enemy was invisible, so they had no clue where to start.

Well, that was not his problem anyway. After all, Shido was confident they would solve the mystery and save the day once more. All he could do was wait…

"…boring" he muttered with a snort. He stared out the window and at the setting sun. One more hot summer day with nothing to do.

His holidays had officially started and all he wanted was go back to school and fight Shadows. And yet here he was: the popular teen detective and the feared black-masked hitman, wondering what to do during his summer break.

His eyes scanned his own room: should he read a book? Update his blog? Maybe play a videogame?

As soon as he thought about games, he remembered Kurusu-kun still had his copy of Goemon II. He wondered if he ever managed to beat the game without his help. After all, Kurusu-kun hadn't seemed all too fond of puzzles and riddles…

Now, a voice in his head was screaming not to even dare think about it, but his legs were already moving on their own. Before he even knew it and just like that time at the summer festival, he was riding a train to Yongen-Jaya. Worst case scenario, he thought as his heart began beating faster than normal with each step he took towards the small café, he could always say he simply wanted a nice cup of coffee. They couldn't kick him out if he was there as a customer, right? Besides, hadn't Kurusu-kun said that his door was always open for him?

He stopped right outside the café, the rational part of him telling him it was a terrible idea, that he would end up regretting the decision because he would receive yet another rejection…

…the bell rang as he stepped inside the cozy locale, completely empty with the sole exception of Sakura-san watching the news on TV. The man greeted him with a kind smile, and told him he would tell Akira he was waiting downstairs.

 _Why the hell was his heart beating so damn fast?_

He could hear footsteps descending the stairs, until the black-haired boy made his entrance, stopping by the counter.

"Hi…" Akechi said in a tiny voice.

"…Hi" Akira nodded his head, observing him in silence. Then, quietly signaling him to follow him, he headed once again upstairs. Akechi did as he had been ordered, keeping however a certain distance between himself and the other boy. The cat was not there this time, and Akechi imagined he had gone out for a walk on his own.

Unable to stand the heavy silence any longer, Akechi spoke again. "S-so, how are you? Enjoying the summer break?"

"Eh, can't complain" was Akira's short answer, shrugging his shoulders as he sat on his bed. Akechi noticed how the other boy was doing his best to avoid looking at him.

"Did I… do something wrong?" he finally decided to ask, frowning at his own words. Akira, however, finally lifted his head to stare back at him, a hint of indecision behind his grey eyes.

"I… it's complicated" he replied after several seconds of silence.

"Your friends don't like me very much, do they?" Akechi smiled bitterly "I mean, even your cat is avoiding me like the plague. Look at me, the _famous_ detective everyone adores. And yet, I can't seem to be able to make friends with anyone…"

The words escaped his mouth without control, but Akira's eyes softened and he shook his head, standing up from his bed and positioning himself right in front of him.

"Akechi-san" he said "Please, forgive me."

And then, he did something Akechi would never have predicted: the dark-haired boy bowed his head to show how deeply sorry he was, and Akechi was left speechless and stunned.

"I have been avoiding you simply because my other friends were wary of you, not realizing that I was doing the exact opposite of what I had promised myself when I came here. And that is, give a chance to whomever deserves it."

Kurusu-kun's confession came so unexpected that Akechi had no idea what to reply to that. He simply stood there, his jaws dropped with surprise. But then something hit him.

"…your _other_ friends?" he asked uncertainly, and Akira stood straight up again.

"Yes" he nodded with a smile "Other than you, that is."

"Am I… your friend?" Akechi asked wide-eyed, his heart swelling with something he had never felt before. It was such a potent feeling he thought his heart would burst anytime, even stronger than what he had experienced back in his very first Palace.

"Of course we're friends!" Akira chuckled "I mean, who else would help me finish Goemon II?"

"Uhm…Sakamoto-kun?"

"Nah" Akira smirked as he fired up the game on the old console he kept on a desk next to the second-hand TV "He would never appreciate an old-gen gem like this one."

Akechi sat in a chair next to Akira, watching the other boy play and cheering for him whenever he was in an intense fight. The puzzles were left to him, because Akechi would be much quicker to understand what to do to progress in the game.

"Too bad there is no co-op" Akira commented as he downed another enemy.

They spent a couple more hours playing the game, eating snacks and discussing how wonderful it would be if they could afford a newer console so they could play together.

"I think this is it!" commented a very excited Akechi as he chewed on some chips Akira had previously put on the desk for them to feast on.

Apparently, their character had finally made it to the final boss, a fierce dragon hovering over him. "Give him hell!"

It was a tough battle which required Akira to keep focused the whole time as he tried to follow Akechi's instructions whenever the other boy discovered a weak point, but they did it. The two friends actually jumped up and loudly celebrated their victory, followed by a high five.

"We make quite a good team, eh Goro?"

Akechi's broad smile vanished as he heard Akira say his first name. It felt so strange that someone actually used it, he had first thought he had mistaken him for someone else. Everyone –schoolmates, Shido, his guardians, his fans- called him Akechi.

"Did I say something wrong?" Akira asked again, his smirk growing larger as if he knew exactly what the other boy was thinking about.

"N-no… not at all, _Akira_ "

The two boys smiled at each other before Akechi looked at the watch on his left wrist and almost cursed out loud.

"What's wrong?" Akira asked, his brow lifting.

"Oh boy, it's late! I missed the last train back home!" Akechi whined and then sighed. "I was having so much fun I forgot to keep an eye on the watch."

"Well, what's the problem?" Akira shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly "You can stay here tonight."

Akira was actually forced to poke Akechi's arms multiple times, for the boy seemed to be completely frozen, and it took him several seconds to snap out of it.

"But I don't have any spare clothes with me!" he said, but Akira simply smiled, opened a large box and threw some clothes at him. "You can borrow mine. Oh, and there's no shower or bathtub here. So you will need to head to the bathhouse just outside LeBlanc. It's open until late, so…"

Akechi did as he was told, returning half an hour later refreshed and in Akira's clothes as he carefully packed his in a plastic bag.

"I have a few extra toothbrushes in that other box. Just pick one, and you can use the toilet downstairs. Just make sure not to stain the mirror. Boss wants this place to shine when his customers arrive" Akira explained as he prepared "Goro's emergency bed", as he liked to call it. He would be sleeping on the sofa, but Akira was making it as comfortable as possible with soft pillows and light sheets. Akechi actually blushed and told him it was unnecessary given how warm it was in the room, but the dark-haired boy did it anyway.

"…Should you get hungry, you can always grab something from the fridge downstairs" Akira told him as he sat on his bed and changed channel on the TV.

"But won't Sakura-san…I mean Boss, get mad at us when he finds out I have spent the night here without his permission?" Akechi asked worried, but Akira shook his head with a smile.

"Not at all. Besides, I think he quite likes you."

At Akechi's questioning look, he continued. "I mean, he likes everyone who can tell the difference between a coffee bean and another. And you impressed him last time."

"But I don't know anything about coffee beans... I just know the Blue Mountain type because it's the one I always order at this other bar…" Akechi explained flatly.

"Well, there's no need to tell him that."

At that very moment, a black cat jumped on the windowsill and instantly froze when his blue eyes met Akechi's. The cat's pupils dilated and the fur rose, before he turned the other way and left again. Well, not a good sign.

Akira observed the cat walking away from the café from the backyard, but didn't look too bothered by it. Or maybe he was just pretending. Either way, the dark-haired boy decided it was best to get to bed for it was nearly 2 AM, and Akechi did the same.

" _…_ _still no comments from the Phantom Thieves after Medjed's most recent warning…"_

Akira turned off the TV and threw the remote across the room, before it landed on the TV with a loud thud. Akechi didn't like the sound that followed: he was pretty sure the remote had just broken Akira's already fragile TV.

"Crap" the dark-haired boy commented, but lying in a comfortable bed was apparently more important than checking up on his TV.

After a moment of silence in the dark room, Akechi spoke first. "Akira?"

"Mhm?"

"Who do you think is going to win: the Phantom Thieves or Medjed?"

"The Phantom Thieves, of course" Akira replied immediately.

"You support them without ever even doubting their actions" Akechi chuckled softly "Do you think they are just?"

"I _believe_ they are. What about you?" Akira responded.

"I…" Akechi frowned, unsure whether to tell the truth or not. "It's hard to say. I mean, they _are_ ignoring and breaking all the possible rules dictated by law, but sometimes… sometimes I think they are doing the right thing."

Even if he couldn't see his face in the dark, Akechi was quite sure his comment had quite shocked Akira. The other boy remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"I just know the Phantom Thieves will emerge victorious against Medjed."

"What makes you say that?" Akira asked.

"Well, don't they always?"

* * *

Waking up in the middle of the night after a wonderful dream, and finding yourself face to face with a pair of large, blue eyes is never funny. Particularly if those eyes belong to a black cat standing inches away from your face.

Makoto knew all about it, as she woke up with a startle, screamed her lungs out and risked a heart attack after falling off the bed.

"What…the heck, Morgana!"

"I am sorry!" the cat jumped off the bed to check up on her "But this is an emergency!"

"What's wrong?" Makoto asked, massaging her temples and trying to calm her racing heart.

"Well, I didn't know where to go. I would rather avoid sleeping at Ryuji's or Yusuke's. Like really, those two are completely nuts. And Lady Ann…well…"

"Why not sleep at the usual place?" Makoto asked, now more worried about a possible fight between the leader of the Phantom Thieves and the strong-willed cat.

"Because…" Morgana diverted his eyes from her "Goro Akechi is at our place."

"WHAT?!"

"Quiet!" Morgana hissed, looking around to make sure no one had started investigating the source of all the noise, but the neighborhood from Makoto's window didn't seem to have been alerted.

"Goro Akechi… THAT Goro Akechi?" the girl asked more vehemently.

"How many Goro Akechi do you know?" Morgana replied with a sigh. "I believe Akira has invited him over… again."

"This is bad… I mean, should we even leave them alone? Akechi may kill Akira if he gets the opportunity. And this one is the perfect one" she said.

"I don't think he will kill him. Not in real life. He would leave too many evidences behind, so I believe he would always prefer doing it in the Metaverse" Morgana stated after sitting down on the floor.

"But why do you think Akira invites him over and even lets him sleep at his place?" Makoto questioned the cat.

"Because he is a fool that believes hopeless people like Akechi can _change_ " Morgana replied fiercely.

"Well…can't he? After all, we _do_ change people's hearts."

"It's different with him. Remember that Persona-users have no Palace because they already managed to rebel against society's injustice and took off their masks. Akechi is well aware of his actions, and most likely doesn't even regret doing what he does. He is beyond redemption" the cat explained.

"But he… he is so young" Makoto whispered in disbelief, but Morgana shook his head. "Old enough to take responsibility for his actions."

"Ok, but why do you think Akechi is willing to spend so much time around Akira? He has made clear before he would pursue the Phantom Thieves and make sure we end up in jail. Plus, he can always use his powers to kill us. So why hasn't he taken action yet?" Makoto asked the question as her brain worked hard to think of an answer on its own.

"I don't know…" Morgana replied in defeat "That guy is a real mystery. But we must not let our guards down. He may strike when we least expect it."

The cat then jumped on her bed and curled up into a ball. "I guess I will be sleeping here tonight."

Makoto didn't answer: she was too busy thinking about the conversation she'd just had with Morgana. As the cat's breathing became more regular, she quietly sat on the bed and thought about the brown-haired boy who always smiled kindly to anyone around him. Could that young man really be behind all the mental shutdowns in Japan? Could he really be plotting the Phantom Thieves' downfall? So was he acting all friendly around them just to gain their trust, and then stab them in their backs?

She couldn't give an answer, but by the end of the night she was resolved to find out more.

* * *

 **So Goro gets a friend! Only took him 17 years but... ain't he cute? :) Too bad the others won't trust him no matter what!  
Btw, I got an epiphany one night while I was trying to fall asleep, and I now know exactly how to end this story! Very excited to write more :P  
And finally, a proper and original Goro-Makoto scene in the next chapter! **

**As always, let me know what you think and see you all amazing people on Friday!**


	7. The Dark Side Of Prince Charming

**A lot happens in this chapter, and I have to say it is getting slightly more difficult to write in Akechi's POV, because I feel his character is developing a lot thanks to his friendship with Akira, and he himself is confused about what to think and do. However, I am making sure the frustration and confusion he is feeling transpires in these chapters, with him constantly alternating moments of tenderness to others where his darker side prevails.**

 **Makoto will definitely have a taste of Goro's complicated personality in this chap! ;)**

* * *

She woke up at dawn and, despite feeling groggy and sleepy, she managed to get up –making sure she wouldn't wake Morgana, still sleeping on her bed- and went to the bathroom to get changed. She took the first train to Yongen-Jaya and went straight to LeBlanc, circumnavigated it and jumped over a fenced area which separated the backyard of the café from the rest of the neighborhood. She climbed a few boxes to heave herself up to Akira's window and looked inside: Akira was sprawled over his bed, one of his arms hanging from the side and touching the wooden floor; Akechi was all curled up on the sofa, facing the wall and, judging by the regular lifting and lowering of his chest, he was fast asleep. Makoto watched the scene in front of her, and would have almost thought it was cute had it not been a dangerous murderer she was staring at.

"Good Lord, child. If you like that guy just tell him! There's no need to spy on him."

Makoto got so startled she jumped and fell off the boxes she was standing on, landing painfully on the grass below. An old, crooked woman with a hump giggled and kept walking her own way. As Makoto massaged her back, she heard some noises from upstairs. She cursed and, before she could go hide somewhere, Goro Akechi himself poked his head out the window and his eyes instantly met hers. He blinked a couple of times, then turned to his right –probably to check if Akira was still asleep- and then stared at her again, his expression indecipherable. He then looked down and seemed to be calculating the distance between the second and the ground floor, sat on the windowsill and jumped down, landing graciously on his feet just beside her.

He silently offered her a hand, which she took, and he easily lifted her up with unexpected strength.

"Ehm…thanks" she muttered embarrassed while flattening her skirt.

"You're quite welcome, Nijima-san" he said. "Now, will you tell me why you were spying on us?"

"I-I was not spying!" she lied, her face cherry-red.

"I see… then I must assume you have a crush on Akira-kun. I mean, what other reason could there be?" he suggested with a smirk at her horrified expression.

"I don't have a crush on anyone!" she whined "It's just-"

"Wait a minute."

He repositioned the boxes that collapsed when she had fallen, and proceeded to climb them until he was back inside the room. Makoto waited several minutes and was seriously starting to believe Akechi was doing something bad, when he finally jumped back down again, wearing totally different clothes.

"Sorry for the wait" he said "I had to return Akira's clothes and left him a note to thank him for the hospitality."

"Aren't you going back inside?" she asked, a terrible suspicion forming in her head.

"No" he replied "I think I will spend some time with you, today."

"Oh, I don't think so" she grinned.

"Oh, but I do" he smirked back "Unless you want to follow me to the nearest police station to explain why you were wandering around a private property."

"Well, you know Akira is my friend, right?" she insisted, his attitude getting on her nerves already.

"I know. But that does not give you the right to spy on others" he continued. "Besides, who do you think the police will believe, you or me?"

Makoto had no other choice but to follow a very self-satisfied Akechi, hating how he seemed to have the upper hand in whatever conversation she'd ever had with him.

"I'll show you someday…" she muttered under her breath.

"Mhm? Did you say something?"

"Nope" she replied flatly. "Where are we going, anyway?"

"A diner in Shibuya. I need breakfast."

"We could have had breakfast at LeBlanc!" she complained.

"Well, what if I told you" he turned to glare at her, his voice softer than ever "that I wanted to spend some time with you _alone_?"

She stared back at him blankly before feeling suddenly very warm. How dumb was she to fall for such an old and stupid trick?

 _"_ _Really Makoto? A smile and some nice words and you let freaking Goro Akechi win?"_

She resolved to look the other way, causing him to chuckle softly until they finally reached the train station.

To make matters even worse, they ran into the same old lady Makoto had seen back at LeBlanc. With a huge smile on her face, the woman said "See dear? I told you it was much better to tell him straight away! You make quite a nice couple."

Makoto froze entirely as she felt people's eyes burning into her skin, and hurriedly tried to explain Akechi was not her crush, but to no avail. The detective, on the other hand, seemed to find the whole situation pretty amusing as he plastered a smirk on his face. When the woman finally left, he turned to her once again.

"See what happens when you spy on handsome guys?"

"I WAS NOT SPYING ON YOU, DAMMIT!" she was so embarrassed and frustrated that she barely realized she was raising her voice, causing even more attention to be drawn to herself.

"But of course, how silly of me to believe that!" he mocked as he palmed his face. "But please, tell me why a girl like you would wake up at dawn, ride a train all the way to Yongen-Jaya and climb some boxes up to a boy's bedroom. Oh-" he stopped, widening his eyes as if he had just realized something important "But of course! You were simply _passing by_ , weren't you? And curiosity got the best of you and wanted to see if your friend was awake. At 6 in the morning…"

The mocking tone he was using only made her feel more embarrassed, and she was sure her face was as red as a tomato. He had basically gotten her, and there was no lie that could save her now.

The train arrived shortly after, and Akechi gestured for her to step inside first. She walked past him and went to sit with a group of early birds, leaving no space for Akechi. The boy simply stood not too far from her, and she could feel his intense gaze on the back of her neck. When the train stopped in Shibuya, they got off in silence and walked to the diner without exchanging a single word.

"So what will you have?" he asked as he took a look at the menu on the table.

"Nothing" she replied "I don't have any money with me."

"That won't be an issue. I can pay for you" he reassured. "I am not going to let my stalker starve just because she hasn't brought any money."

"Will you stop saying that?" she snapped "I am NOT a stalker!"

"I'll stop when you tell me the truth. And I am being a gentleman and offering you breakfast, you should be more grateful" he smiled.

"No one asked you to buy me anything. In fact, I am not hungry."

Her stomach growled right after she had said it, and Akechi chuckled. "Your stomach says otherwise."

"I can survive an hour or two without eating, thank you very much Akechi-kun" she said politely.

"An hour or two? We're going to be together for much longer than that" he responded, visibly pleased at the look of pure shock she gave him.

"Good morning! How may I help you today?" a young waitress approached them and bowed down.

"Good morning" Akechi beamed "My friend and I will be having miso soup and kobachi. Oh, and a large portion of rice to share. And to drink…" he quickly scanned the coffee section of the menu "…two regular coffees, please."

The waitress bowed down once again and collected their menus before leaving.

Makoto waited uncomfortably in her seat for their food to arrive, and decided to observe the other customers all around them as a source of distraction. Akechi, however, felt perfectly at ease simply staring at her with a small smile, as if trying to unnerve her as much as possible. So far, he was managing very well.

Before she could throw a bottle of ketchup at him, the waitress appeared with two large trays of food, which she placed on their table.

"Well, bon appetite" he said happily, and took his portion in a separate bowl.

Makoto was hating herself for being so weak and surrendering to hunger, but she couldn't help herself after the smell of the delicious food reached her nostrils. Akechi watched her with an amused expression but let her eat without the worry of exchanging more words.

"Well, that was delicious" he put down his chopsticks and leaned back in his seat once he was finished. Makoto was seconds away from finishing her kobachi when the waitress arrived to retrieve the trays and left the bill on the table.

Akechi fished his wallet out of a pocket and left some cash on the table, then stood up and went for the door. Makoto was seriously considering the thought of remaining seated and eating her kobachi as slowly as possible, but it was only a few vegetables left and she would look stupid sitting there alone. She then forced herself to follow him outside, the boy waiting for her as he leaned against a wall.

"Better now?" he asked, nodding at her stomach.

"Yes" she replied coolly, but then remembered he had indeed paid for both of them. "Thank you…"

"No problem" he said, uncrossing the arms over his chest and walking towards Central Street. Makoto rolled her eyes, because for a moment she had hoped he could escort her to the station and leave her be.

They kept walking side by side without speaking, until Akechi suddenly stopped and looked around. There were very few people in that area so early in the morning, and so the boy grabbed her wrist with extraordinary force and dragged her to a narrow alleyway.

"What the…?!" she exclaimed as her heart raced with fear. Akechi proceeded to pin her against the wall, his charming façade suddenly gone and replaced by a threatening look in his eyes.

"Now, Nijima-san" he breathed "You didn't look surprised at all when you saw me at LeBlanc this morning. So let's quit playing games and tell me how you knew I was at Akira's place."

"I… I didn't know!" she cried, as tears stung her eyes. Makoto tried breaking free from him, but he simply snickered and tightened the grip on her arms even more.

"I am losing my patience, Nijima-san" he said in a soft and yet dangerous tone. "I know very well you weren't there by chance. And, being a friend of Akira, you wouldn't need to sneak around his property if you wanted to visit him. You knew I was there, but who told you?"

"You know very well who!" she finally retorted after gathering up enough courage to look at him straight in the eye. Something flashed through his eyes, and for a moment he looked scared but quickly regained his composure.

"I don't think I'm following you, Nijima-san" he said.

"Oh, I think you do" she smirked. He frowned and for several seconds they simply stared at each other. His face was so close to hers his hair was tickling her…

"Hey, you two! This is not the place to make out! Get a room!" a police officer was standing just outside the alleyway, shouting at them. As if that was a catalyst, Akechi immediately let go of her and turned the opposite way to leave. "Don't you dare mention this to anyone. I'll see you around, Nijima-san."

* * *

The damned girl knew something. She knew he had spent the night at Akira's place and she had come to investigate. Why? Why did she feel the need to check up on Akira? He knew the rest of the Phantom Thieves didn't trust him because of what he kept on stating on TV about them, but was that enough of a reason to be spied on? And how did she know in the first place? The only logical explanation he had was that the talking cat, the only other living thing who had spotted him at LeBlanc other than Akira himself, had gone straight to Nijima-san's place and told her what he had seen. But she had told him he was supposed to know who had passed on the information to her, hadn't she? She somehow knew he was aware of the fact the cat could talk, and he still didn't know if that was bad or not. He must have made a mistake at some point, which had alerted either the cat or Nijima-san herself. However, the more he tried to recall a particular event, the less convinced he became: after all, other than the brief conversation he had had with the group of friends at the summer festival, he didn't remember spending so much time around that Morgana, and in all the episodes he could remember, the cat had never spoken …

He obviously knew that hearing cats talk was not normal, but maybe that particular cat was special. The fact he could understand what he said didn't prove anything, right?

He had no idea what to believe, but surely she didn't know who he really was. That was impossible…

He bit his lower lip as he sat on his bed, occasionally looking out the window at the same alleyway where he had been standing a few hours earlier with Nijima-san.

He couldn't tell for sure, but the girl seemed to be a threat. If she had somehow discovered his true identity, he was screwed. Shido's plan would fail, they would be discovered and arrested. Maybe even executed. He would never get his revenge. Akira would never talk to him again…

"Damn it all!" he cursed through gritted teeth, punching the pillow until it became a crumpled mass.

When he had calmed down, he sighed and closed his eyes. All he could do was keep a low profile and let the Phantom Thieves do their job against Medjed. After that, Shido's plan would reach its peak and he could finally get rid of them all. That is, if the girl kept quiet and didn't reveal her discovery.

Akira in particular mustn't know.

He didn't have any other choice. He stood up and walked over to his desk, opened a drawer and retrieved a diary where he kept the names of all his targets. He took a pen and wrote in a clear and elegant handwriting.

 _"_ _Makoto Nijima"_

* * *

"We have finally secured our route to the Treasure!" Morgana announced happily. "And Futaba has received a calling card, the one she wrote herself. All we need to do now is steal her Treasure."

"Easy peasy" Ryuji grinned proudly as he grabbed a heavy-looking manga and threw it straight at Yusuke. The tome hit the blue-haired boy in the head, and the wasabi snacks he had been eagerly feasting on fell from his hands.

"Why did you do that?" Yusuke asked in a low voice, massaging the sore spot. "All of these delicious wasabi chips…"

"Eh, pay attention to our meeting next time instead of stealing all of Ann's snacks!" Ryuji reprimanded him.

"What?!" Ann exclaimed outraged, her eyes falling on the spilled snacks and the empty box Yusuke now had in his hands. "Yusuke, buy your own!"

"But I do not have any money left. I spent the last yens on the ticket ride to be here today" he justified himself.

"So, how are you gonna get back home, huh?" Ryuji asked as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"I do not know. I haven't thought about it yet" Yusuke replied dreamily. "Perhaps you can lend me some."

"Hell no!"

"Makoto, are you ok? You haven't said a word today" Ann asked the other girl, who had indeed been quiet all day.

"Huh?" Makoto seemed to have been deep in thought, but forced a smile on her face. "Oh, it's nothing. I was just… thinking about Futaba's past."

"Yeah…" Ann nodded sympathetically "Poor little girl…"

"Well Akira, tomorrow we will be stealing Futaba's Treasure. We have made great progress with Boss' daughter, but still haven't found a solution about Medjed" Morgana said, and everyone's expressions turned graver.

"Dammit, did we get more than we bargained for?" Ryuji asked frustrated.

"We will manage" Akira reassured. "But one problem at a time. For now, let's focus on Futaba. Once we have dealt with that, we can take care of Medjed."

"But we don't even know where to start!" Ann whined. "They are invisible…"

"Well, technically there are tons of pictures of the Egyptian god on…"

"Thank you, Yusuke."

"One problem at a time" Makoto muttered. "Right."

* * *

Summer vacation was almost over and Akechi still hadn't been confronted by either the Phantom Thieves or the police, which meant Makoto had kept her mouth shut. Good girl.

To make matters more interesting, the Phantom Thieves had gained a new party member after joining force with a young girl named Futaba Sakura, the daughter of Sojiro, who adopted the girl when her mother died. Once again, fate was being extremely ironic now because Akechi could remember perfectly well the day he had entered Wakaba Isshiki's Palace and killed her Shadow, causing the woman to have a mental shutdown and die in a car accident in front of her daughter: Futaba herself.

That happened some years before, when Akechi was still quite unexperienced and yet willing to follow Shido's orders like a lost puppy just to gain his trust. He had just met him, and Wakaba Isshiki had been the very first target he had assigned him. He had never really understood why Shido wanted her dead, but the man had guaranteed it was for his own sake, for Isshiki had been working on a secret project regarding the cognitive world which could potentially reveal the boy's secret identity and powers.

Futaba Sakura had proven to be a fundamental addition to the party, because her hacking skills had allowed the Phantom Thieves to take down Medjed in a matter of minutes, and all of the world was talking about the famous Japanese heroes. Wherever he went, Akechi heard nothing but news about the Phantom Thieves, and even saw shops selling gadgets, plush dolls, shirts, fake calling cards and food inspired by them. Their popularity, however, caused his to sink significantly for people had lost faith in him and his accusations against the Phantom Thieves. Akechi knew this step was necessary, but he felt lonelier than ever. After all, he hadn't heard from Akira since the day he left LeBlanc after spending the night there, and to be perfectly honest he was a bit afraid to approach the other boy, just in case Makoto had warned him. It hurt to be this miserable again after knowing what it felt like to have a friend and a normal life, but he forced himself to stay strong and stick to the plan.

On the very last day of summer holidays, the TV was now talking about a scandal around president Okumura for the way he treated his employees. However, the man seemed to be particularly popular among citizens as a potential new Prime Minister. Of course Shido wanted him dead, and had made sure the journalists got to hear about the working conditions of his employees to attract the attention of the Phantom Thieves.

Akechi had been careful not to mention the episode with Nijima-san to Shido, but he was still waiting for the perfect opportunity to get rid of the girl. Killing her out of the blue would only raise suspicions among the other members, and he would be the first they would be wary of.

It was quite the dilemma, because Nijima-san apparently knew about his little secret and so did the cat. That meant her sudden death- and possibly that of Morgana- would alert the Phantom Thieves and he would attract unwanted attention to himself. However, he thought he knew what to do: Shido had given him an important task, which was befriending the Phantom Thieves to help them clear their names, only to betray them at the very end and get Akira arrested, then kill him. Joining the Phantom Thieves needed to happen at a very specific moment, which was the day he would suggest them to infiltrate Sae Nijima's Palace to change her heart and reveal he could summon a Persona too. However, this wouldn't be easy now that Makoto Nijima had suspicions about him. That meant he needed to gain enough of the girl's trust to join the group, and then he would kill her as well as getting Akira arrested. After all, once the dirty deed had been done, his true identity would be discovered anyway and the Phantom Thieves couldn't do anything to stop him at that point. Then, he would watch Shido become Prime Minister only to bring him down together with his whole pointless life. After that, Akechi had no idea what would happen to him, and he couldn't honestly care less. Whether he died or lived, or got arrested or executed didn't matter to him as long as he got his revenge.

What he found himself thinking about more often than he wished, was what to do with Akira. Shido had been clear enough and told him it was necessary to eliminate him, but the more Akechi thought about it, the less willing he was. After all, Akira had been the only one to give him a chance despite all the terrible things he said about the Phantom Thieves. He had called him friend, and even used his first name! Or was it only a charade?

His phone was buzzing…

"Hello?"

" _Get ready. I have another target for you, and you must take care of him straight away."_

* * *

Principal Kobayakawa was not what Makoto would call a highly respected man. He had made tons of mistakes during his career, and even went as far as blackmailing her once. However, his death caused quite a lot of shock among students and teachers. And it obviously happened a few days before the school trip to Hawaii for second-year students. What she hadn't expected, though, was being approached by Kawakami-sensei who asked her, with a huge smile on her face, if she could take her place to accompanying the students to Hawaii, because she and other teachers were required to stay behind and take care of the police. Despite having tons to do before her last year as a high school student was over, Makoto's sense of duty encouraged her to accept the offer. However, Kawakami had another task for her.

"I am afraid most of the teachers will be required to stay here and solve this problematic situation. That is why I would appreciate it if you could contact as many third-year students as possible who can act as chaperones for this trip."

Well, but of course! Too bad that only few third-year students had accepted to escort the second-year boys and girls to Hawaii. The rest were seemingly too busy with homework and college entry applications.

When Makoto reported back to Kawakami, the woman smiled broadly and said: "You know what, Nijima-chan? You are more than welcome to ask students from other schools! I am confident you must know someone", before the teacher hurriedly wished her a good day and ran back to class.

Makoto stood in the hallway feeling extremely dumb and hopeless, wondering who the heck she could contact from other schools to chaperone the whole trip. After all, she never really had a social life before, and had never spoken to students from other academies.

"...Oh my…"

She took her phone and stared at the screen, where the rest of her teammates were currently discussing the death of principal Kobayakawa, and her eyes kept locking on Futaba's profile picture. The girl was an expert hacker, and she could easily find his phone number. The problem was, she seriously didn't want to bring a potential murderer on a school trip to Hawaii. But did she really have any other choice? The alternative was cancelling the trip, and that would affect the overall gloomy mood even more. Besides, this could be a great opportunity to find out more about him...

 _"_ _Guys…"_

She typed and tapped the "Send" button.

 _"_ _I mean, he was on his way to the police station, right?"_

 _"_ _Yeah! He most likely knew something and wanted to report it. But never got to talk to an officer"_

 _"_ _Well, Kobayakawa was a bastard but didn't deserve to die like that"_

Makoto rolled her eyes and typed the message once more, which was promptly ignored once again.

 _"_ _Morgana suspects Akechi has something to do with this"_

 _"_ _GUYS! I HAVE GOT NEWS ABOUT AKECHI!"_

 _"_ _Jeez Makoto, no need to shout at us"_

 _"_ _Then READ my messages next time! Anyway, let's meet up at LeBlanc today after school"_

 _"_ _Aye aye Queen!"_

 _"_ _Roger!"_

 _"_ _May I get a short briefing via text? I only have 12 yen left…"_

" _Seriously Yusuke, what do you do with all your money?"_

 _"_ _Well, the list is long: brushes, canvas, pens, paint, tuition fee, books, accommodation…"_

Makoto pocketed her phone and bit her lip: this was not going to be fun.

* * *

It took quite a lot of effort to convince Futaba to leave the safety of her bedroom and the house to meet up with the others at a diner in Akihabara. And of course, she demanded Akira picked her up first and escorted her. The younger girl was now sitting in a chair between Akira and Yusuke, trying to ignore the chatting all around her. Even though she had made great progress since the first time they had met her, she was still scared of crowded places, but Akira's presence somewhat soothed her. And a happy Futaba was all Makoto needed in that moment.

"So, you've got news?" Ryuji broke the ice and asked the question everyone was thinking about.

"Yes" Makoto answered "And you won't like it one bit."

Makoto explained in details what Kawakami had told her, and how she was considering asking none other than Akechi himself to chaperone the school trip.

"No effin' way!" Ryuji protested. Ann and Morgana simply exchanged a worried look, and Akira put on his usual poker face. Makoto couldn't tell what Yusuke was thinking about, but she'd bet it definitely had nothing to do with what they were currently discussing, for the blue-haired boy was eying a steak which had just been served to a couple sat at the table nearby.

"Then we must cancel the school trip" Makoto continued calmly.

"HELL NO!"

"Ryuji, lower your voice, please" Ann whispered in embarrassment.

"Don't we know anyone else?" Ryuji asked frustrated. "Yusuke, can't you ask someone at your school?"

"Uhm, I do not know any third-year students who would be willing to accompany you. They are all busy organizing an exhibit which is mandatory for third-year students. I am sorry I cannot be of help" the artist replied in his usual dreamy voice.

"Ok then, can't we leave without him? I mean, it's only one person we're talking about! We will manage."

"According to the school regulations, it is mandatory to have at least two per classroom. Now, we have found enough for the other second-year classes, but yours is still missing one" Makoto explained.

"Well Ryuji, for all we know Akechi will refuse" Ann suggested.

"I am not sure whether I should be hoping that or not" the blond boy sighed.

"There's only one way to find out!" Futaba finally spoke for the first time, and went to retrieve her expensive laptop from her bag.

The red-haired girl spent some minutes typing on her keyboard, humming softly as she browsed through a series of complicated-looking codes until she snapped her fingers. "Here we go!"

Futaba turned the screen the opposite direction so that Makoto could read the phone number that had appeared, and she quietly saved it on her phone.

"Now" Futaba continued enthusiastically "You have the opportunity of a lifetime. Beginning Quest: drown the fake detective! Look out, it's a red-flagged one, so you will want to prepare before you embark on this journey."

"Futaba, this is not a videogame. And we are not going to drown Akechi-kun" Makoto sighed exasperated.

"Well" the hacker continued, pushing the large glasses up the bridge of her tiny nose. "Drowning is only one of the many options available…"

"Futaba…"

"Sowwie!"

* * *

"Nijima-san! Nijima-san!"

A numerous group of second-year girls was running towards her, looking extremely excited.

"Is it true that Akechi-kun is chaperoning our trip to Hawaii?"

"Ehm, yes" Makoto replied, suppressing a loud sigh.

"Oooh! But is it confirmed?"

"Well, I texted him and asked him. He replied with a yes. So I suppose that answers your question" Makoto answered, trying to sound as polite as possible when surrounded by a group of Akechi's fans.

"Oh my! Nijima-san, you have got his number?! Can I have it too?!"

"Sorry, I do not want troubles with Akechi-kun. But you are free to ask him yourself when you see him" she said, and finally turned to leave.

It had been a long day, organizing the details for the trip at the last second as well as summoning up the courage to send a text message to Goro Akechi, considering what had happened during their last encounter.

Truth be told, she was afraid of him: the way he had pulled her in that alleyway and that look he had given her… she would still shiver whenever she thought about it. It felt like she was the only one who had seen the real Goro Akechi, the side he made sure no one ever saw in public: the handsome and well-mannered boy everyone praised suddenly turned into a more menacing version of himself. His features still handsome, maybe even more than when he pretended to be the charming detective, and yet in such a dark and dangerous way. No doubt there was something really wrong with him, and Makoto was scared. However, knowing that Akira and the others were there too made her feel much better.

She looked at her phone once more and read again the brief conversation she had exchanged with him.

 _"_ _Hello Akechi-kun. This is Makoto Nijima. I am sorry to bother you and send you a message without your permission. I took the liberty to ask my sister for your phone number to see if you could help our school out."_

 _"_ _Hello Nijima-san. It is not an issue. Please, go ahead."_

 _"_ _Well, you must have heard about the tragic death of our principal, and all of our teacher who were supposed to escort the second-year students to their school trip to Hawaii cannot leave Japan at the moment. They therefore asked third-year students to take their place, but so far we still need at least one more. I was wondering if you could join us? I understand perfectly well if you are busy…"_

 _"_ _Well, I am quite busy to be honest. However, I would feel responsible if the school trip got canceled because I couldn't participate. And I do owe you an apology. I guess you can count me in."_

 _"_ _Thank you. I will send you the details of the school trip later today. Have a nice day."_

Makoto frowned as she studied his texts once more, especially at the " _I owe you an apology_ " part.

She checked her wristwatch and mentally cursed: she needed to hurry back home, prepare dinner, pack her suitcase and send the details of the trip, as well as his travel documents, to Akechi.

She was definitely not looking forward to the next days.

* * *

Akechi's phone buzzed and a blue light kept flashing to remind him he had an unread message. He lazily stood from his bed and went to grab his phone. Apparently, Makoto Nijima had finally remembered to send him the details of the school trip. Normally, he would have declined but he couldn't miss the opportunity to spend some days with the Phantom Thieves, away from home… And being Goro Akechi, it had been extremely easy for him to convince his teachers to allow him on a trip for another school. They had simply praised his kind heart to help fellow students from another academy, and they instantly wished him best of luck.

He smirked broadly as he downloaded his travel documents and the reference code which he would be needing the day after tomorrow. The only thing that currently bugged him was the check-in time, way too early for his tastes.

However, he could already imagine himself using his charm on Nijima-san, apologize to her for being so direct and rude, and then befriend the rest of the thieves. Once that was done, the rest would be child's play.

He then decided to read the rest of the message Nijima had written, and learned he and the prosecutor's sister had been assigned to class 2-D, Akira's one…

Well, how to kill two birds with one stone: that meant Nijima-san was forced to spend most of the time in Hawaii with him, and he had the chance to fulfill his plan as well as talk to Akira…

After all, if their school trip was going to be any similar to the one he had had with his own school the year before, and considering the fact there were no teachers around, students would probably spend time with their own friends or significant others. So he didn't see why he couldn't spend some quality time with _his_ friend, too…

Damn, what was he thinking? He was supposed to embrace this opportunity and find out useful information about the Phantom Thieves, and gain their trust so that Shido's plan could work! He had no time for friendship. He had secretly declared war to the Phantom Thieves long time ago, and now there was no turning back.

So why couldn't he discard the thought of enjoying a few normal days with the people that haunted his thoughts day and night?

* * *

 **The next two chapters will be all about the school trip to Hawaii, and a LOT of interaction between Goro and Makoto, as well as Goro and the other PT's, will take place! Also, possibly some unexpected fluff? :D**

 **Make sure to tune in on for more! And let me know what you think ;)**

 **Peeeeace out!**


	8. Hawaiian Holidays! Part 1

**So excited to publish this chapter and the following one, which were originally supposed to be released as a whole. However, the more I typed, the more details I added. In the end, I found myself with nearly 11.000 words, and decided to split this into two. This is where my story seriously starts to diverge from the original, and interactions between characters will get more intense! As always, thank you all so much for the support, let me know your opinions and enjoy! :D**

* * *

Goro Akechi hadn't slept much the night before the departure: he had taken his time packing his things, and then decided he could finally clean his apartment before leaving Japan. When he was finally finished with everything, the clock read 2:47 AM, and his alarm was supposed to go off at 5 AM. He thought it was basically pointless to sleep at that point, and resolved to go through his mental checklist to make sure he wouldn't forget anything. Of course, they would be staying in Hawaii for less than a week but he wanted to make sure he could make the most out of it. After all, his summer had been uneventful and he deserved some proper holidays.

When the alarm finally went off, Akechi had already taken a shower and changed into fresh clothes. Instead of waiting one more hour, he decided to call a taxi and head straight to the airport for an early check-in. That way, his chances to get a better seat were higher. Of course, ideally he would prefer an aisle seat: he couldn't stand being clammed between two strangers whenever he flew in a middle seat, and the window seat offered a great view, but it was a hell to go to the toilet when the other passengers were fast asleep.

He dragged his suitcase all the way to the elevator and downstairs, with a bag over his shoulder. The taxi was already waiting for him just outside the building, and Akechi handed the suitcase to the driver and climbed in the car. The ride to the airport was mostly spent in silence, with the driver only speaking to ask him if he was the famous ace detective he had seen many times on TV before, and what it felt like to be obscured by the Phantom Thieves' popularity. Akechi had to refrain himself from sighing contentedly when they finally pulled over and parked outside the terminal.

He got out of the car, enjoying the fresh night air, retrieved his suitcase and paid for the ride.

The large parking place outside and the whole neighborhood were relatively dark, illuminated only by the bright lights coming from the terminal, its walls made entirely of glass so that he could see every single shop and restaurant from where he was standing.

He entered and headed straight for the check-in kiosks where he promptly printed his boarding pass and the luggage tag, before leaving his suitcase at the bag drop and watching it disappear on the conveyor belt. Well, that had taken less time than expected so he imagined he could grab something to eat while he waited for the Shujin students to arrive. Just before entering the first bar he saw, he noticed a girl with short, dark hair and dressed in a Shujin uniform standing by one of the self-service kiosks.

"Good morning, Nijima-san" he greeted, his voice almost a whisper and she jumped in surprise.

"A-Akechi-kun!" she exclaimed, her hand on her chest. "Please, don't scare me like that!"

"My apologies" he smiled "Do you need help?"

"Uhm, well…" Makoto shifted from one foot to another. "I've only flown once before, and I can't remember how to make this thing work."

"I am surprised such an intelligent girl like you is struggling with a simple machine" he said, punching in the reference code for her. "Now you only need to scan your passport under here…"

A few seconds later, and her boarding pass and luggage tag were printed, and he helped her attach the tag to her suitcase and carried it to the bag drop.

"T-thank you…" she muttered, her face turning a light shade of pink.

"You're welcome."

"Morniiiing!"

Akechi and Makoto both turned and were greeted by a very happy Ann, who was carrying an oversized luggage plus a couple more bags. The two seniors exchanged a defeated look before waving at the blonde.

"Uhm Ann, you know we're staying there for a few days only, right?"

"I know, Makoto! But there's all my life in here!" Ann replied with a huge smile, patting her luggage as if it was the most precious thing in the world.

"How are you going to lift this?" Makoto was eying the size of the luggage, which looked like it could burst anytime.

"Ehm" the blonde bit her lip, and then locked eyes with Akechi. "Akechi-kun! You're a man, right?"

"…I believe so."

"And men are strong, right?"

"Supposedly."

Ann simply flapped her eyelashes, with what he could only guess was a pleading look. He rolled his eyes. "Alright, I get it."

"Aww, thank you!"

Well, he now knew that Ann was definitely not shy. At least not when she needed something.

"Did Ann put you to work already?"

The familiar voice made him turn instantly, and he found himself face to face with Akira, who had a backpack and a small luggage with him. He was smiling kindly, and had one hand stuffed in his pocket as it was his customs.

"Yeah" Akechi replied, using both his arms to lift the extremely heavy luggage. "It's a good thing we have full-flex tickets. At least, Takamaki-chan won't be needing to pay an extra fee for the weight of her luggage."

The two boys watched as the large suitcase was being transported on the conveyor belt, and froze when it got stuck in a corner. An airport employee noticed and used a stick to set it free, and gave Akechi a reprimanding look. The boy sighed in defeat, while Akira simply chuckled.

"Now you know what you just signed up for" the dark-haired boy said, patting him on the shoulder.

Another boy with black hair dressed in a Shujin uniform came to say hi to Akira and the others. When he saw Akechi, his face darkened a bit but still introduced himself as Yuuki Mishima, one of Akira's and Ann's classmates. Shortly before the check-in closed, Ryuji Sakamoto made his entrance, running like they'd never seen before with a large backpack. He braked in front of them and started panting loudly.

"Arriving late even on a day like this, eh Ryuji?" Ann sighed and shook her head.

"I…need…water!" Ryuji managed to blurt out.

"Here" Akechi offered him a bottle of water he had brought from home, and Ryuji literally snatched it out of his hand and emptied the content with a few gulps. "Aaah! That was good! Thank y- argh!"  
The blonde jumped backwards and almost fell on his butt when he realized who had just offered him to drink.

"A-A-Akechi!" he stammered in shock. The brown-haired boy simply lifted a brow at him.

"You'd better check in, Sakamoto-kun, or we will have to leave without you" Mishima warned him as he nervously checked his wristwatch. Ryuji didn't need to be told twice and, now refreshed thanks to Akechi's water, he ran to the closest kiosk.

A few minutes later, they were good to go and, joined by the other groups, they headed all together to their gate, arriving just in time for boarding.

They all entered the large aircraft after exhibiting their tickets and were comfortably sitting in their assigned seat.

Akechi's wish had come true when he found out he had gotten an aisle seat, sharing the rest of the row with students from other classes. Luckily enough, none of them was a girl. After all, he could still feel their gaze on the back of his neck and hear them chatting excitedly about his presence.

He spent almost the entire flight asleep, before being awoken by a flight attendant telling him to fasten his seatbelt before landing. He looked out the window and could indeed see their destination approaching, every detail becoming clearer as they descended.

Ten minutes later, and they were all walking on foreign soil. They went through customs clearance and picked up their respective luggage, and in a blink of an eye they were in a bus taking them to the hotel.

The hotel itself was relatively nice, but definitely designed for Japanese tourists and school trips as it offered assistance in their native language, as well as excursions accurately programmed for students.

"So, are we going to share a room?"

"Yes! I've been waiting for this for two years!"

Akechi realized with shock that, unlike his school trip the previous year, Shujin Academy had tried and saved as much money as possible, and students were therefore required to share a room with others.

As Ryuji was forced to share his with a classmate because of their school rules, Mishima took his chance and asked Akira if he was willing to be his roommate. Akira looked at Akechi, a silent apology in his grey eyes, and reluctantly accepted.

Nice. His only friend was currently unavailable. And, judging by the other students' faces, most of them had found a partner and were already on their way to their rooms.

"What happens if one is left with no roommate?" Akechi asked Makoto, a faint hope burning in his chest. "Do you get to sleep alone?"

"We are an even number, Akechi-kun…" Makoto replied flatly. As the remaining students became fewer and fewer, most of them breaking the rule of not sharing a room with a member of the opposite sex, both Akechi and Makoto were becoming desperate.

"Akechi-kun! Will you share your room with me?"

"No, don't listen to her, Akechi-kun! _Sleep with me_!"

Two girls had approached him and were begging him to be their roommate, creeping the hell out of him. He actually blushed at one of the girl's direct question, and shook his head with an embarrassed smile.

"I-I am so sorry, but I…" he turned to look at an equally shocked Makoto "I already have a roommate!"

"Don't lie to us, Akechi-kun" one of the creepy girls exclaimed. "Who would that be? All the boys are gone!"

"That's because my roommate is not a boy" he grinned, and he locked eyes once more with Makoto, ignoring her panicked expression.

"Wait…" the most direct of the two girls said, her eyes widening. "Are you saying… Nijima-senpai is sharing a room with you?!"

"Precisely!" he beamed, and grabbed Makoto's wrist. "Come, Nijima-chan. We need to unpack before the evening."

And with that, Akechi left behind the two stunned girls, needing however to literally pull Makoto all the way up to the fourth floor for the girl seemed to have frozen in place.

* * *

A hotel porter was waiting outside their room with their luggage, which he promptly handed over to Akechi, eying with disapproval the boy and the girl who were entering the room. Makoto, on the other hand, simply wished she could be wearing her Phantom Thief mask right now.

Why hadn't she predicted this? Why hadn't she asked a girl to share a room straight away? Because of her negligence, she was now stuck with Akechi for four days…

"I'm taking the bed closest to the door" she said immediately, sitting on it and placing her luggage beside her.

He lifted an eyebrow. "So you have an easy escape route?"

"Sharp as always, Akechi-kun" she smiled with a nod, and then proceeded to unpack.

Akechi rolled his eyes and went to put his clothes in the small closet.

"Hey, you're taking all my space!" Makoto complained as she eyed him disapprovingly.

"No, I am not taking all _your_ space!" he retorted. "I only used two shelves! You, on the other hand, seem like you are moving here permanently. Look at all the stuff you brought."

"Mph" she turned the other way and pouted angrily. "Now, let's make this clear: no light and no noise after 10 PM, and I am using the bathroom first in the morning."

Akechi blinked as he listened to the assertive girl. "Fine by me."

Makoto dropped her jaws, for she had expected him to start another argument. "Really?"

"Nijima-san, I learned long time ago not to pick a fight with a woman when it comes to her personal needs" he said simply. "So, what's the program?"

"Program?" she repeated confused.

"Yes. You must have a schedule with all the excursions for the students, right?"

"Ehm…"

Truth be told, Makoto and the others didn't have time to plan anything special for their fellow students. It had happened so fast and unexpectedly that she barely had time to fix a last-minute ticket for Akechi and the other chaperones…

"You didn't plan anything, correct?" he sighed as he shook his head.

"Hey, don't blame it on me!" she complained angrily. "I barely had time to _breathe_!"

"Well then…" Akechi loosened the tie around his neck and threw the light jacket he was wearing on the bed. Makoto widened her eyes and blushed furiously. "Wait, what the _hell_ do you think you're doing?"

"Uh?" he stared back at her for a moment. "What do you mean? Do you seriously think I am going to have my jacket on when it's thirty degrees outside?"

"Oh…" she whispered, feeling suddenly very stupid. "I thought… Nevermind."

"Whatever you think of me, maybe you should reconsider it" he reprimanded her. "And, just to be as clear as you, I am not going to try and take advantage of you or anything."

"T-that was not what I meant!" she stammered, his words making her blush even more.

"Oh, really?" he smirked, and watched her distress grow in amusement. "Well then, since it obviously embarrasses you so much to see a man getting a jacket off himself, I can only imagine what your reaction may be if I unbuttoned my shirt." And, with a self-satisfied grin at her cherry-red face, he took some new clothes and locked himself in the bathroom.

* * *

"I. Can't. Stand. Him!"

Makoto was sitting on a wooden bench just by the beach, while Ann was patiently listening to her complaints.

"You've only been in the same room as him for five minutes, and you're already bickering like an old couple" she giggled.

"We are NOT a couple, and never will be!" Makoto retorted.

"Well, never say never… alright, alright, just kidding!"

"Don't forget who he is, Ann" Makoto said in a much more serious tone.

"Right…" Ann nodded sadly. "Even though, it's quite hard to believe sometimes... But I guess Ryuji is right when he says Akechi uses his charm to trick others."

"Yo! What's the long face for?"

"Speak of the devil…"

Ryuji, Akira and Mishima all seemed ready to spend the rest of the day at the white beach, and had even bought a ball to kill time with some fun and entertainment.

"Hi guys" the girls greeted.

"So, how are you holdin' up with Akechi, Makoto?" Ryuji asked with a hint of worry in his voice.

"He is the biggest, most annoying self-centered person I've ever had the misfortune to encounter and…"

"Wow, sounds _really_ bad…"

The group of friends jumped and were all met with none other than Akechi himself, who had apparently managed to change into a t-shirt and shorts.

"Hi Akira" he said with a smile, as if Makoto hadn't just been talking about him.

"Hi Goro" the dark-haired boy waved at him, causing quite the shock in his friends.

"You guys are going to the beach?" he asked excited. "I was thinking about taking a trip to the city center and getting something to eat. Not a big fan of hotel food, to be honest."

"Sounds like fun!" Akira beamed. "Maybe I can join you later today. What about you girls? What's the plan?"

"Oh, I have brought my swimsuit with me today" Ann smiled. "I can get changed in one of those cabins and join you guys."

"Err… no, sorry. Boys only" Ryuji retorted.

"Oh, shut up, Ryuji. I'm joining no matter what you say."

"Makoto, what about you? Coming with us?" Akira asked kindly.

Makoto was not the beach-type of girl, and preferred to roam around the city whenever she was in a new place, but knowing that Akechi had had the same idea just made her wish she had brought her swimsuit, too. "I… I was actually planning on shopping around the city center…" she said resigned.

"Ah! Well, you have fun with Goro" Akira winked at her. "We will be joining you guys for dinner."

* * *

"You know you are not required to follow me, right? You can walk around on your own."

Akechi finally said to the girl who followed him like a ghost, though being extremely careful to put enough distance between them. Makoto jumped when the brown-haired boy turned to her suddenly and gave her a stern look.

"I am not following you!" she whined. "I just… happen to be walking in the same direction."

Akechi rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time that day and snorted. "Right."

"I am sorry, OK? It's just… I never travel alone. Normally I am with my sister and she shows me around. Being in a foreign country on my own is a bit…"

"…scary?" he completed for her, and she nodded. "Well, just for the records, I have no idea where I am going."

"But you do remember how to get back, right?" Makoto asked alarmed.

"Worst case scenario, we can use the GPS on our phones. Seriously, Nijima-san, there is no need to worry" he reassured and kept marching on. However, the girl seemed to be reluctant to walk alongside him and he stopped once again. When he did so, Makoto took a step back and instinctively lifted an arm as if to defend herself. Akechi frowned and looked at the scared girl in front of him: she was obviously still shaken after what he had done to her back in Shibuya.

"Listen, Nijima-san…" he began, but realized he had no idea what to say. He took a look around and spotted a quiet café in a cozy-looking area. "May I offer you a cup of coffee?" he asked gently "I promise you I just want to talk."

She seemed reluctant for a moment, but then nodded shyly and followed him inside the locale. There were very few people sat at the tables, but Akechi wanted to make sure they had enough privacy and, after placing their order, asked if they could sit outside, despite the hot sun that made them sweaty.

Once alone, Akechi took a moment to study the girl's reaction: so far, she still seemed wary of him and often diverted her eyes whenever theirs met.

"Nijima-san, please accept my sincerest apologies" he said, trying to sound genuine. "I should never have reacted that way back in Shibuya, and I regret it deeply."

Makoto's lips parted slightly as she finally lifted her gaze to glance at him, probably to check if he meant what he was saying.

"I guess I am very stressed lately, what with school, and college applications and the investigation about the Phantom Thieves" he continued. "And people just won't listen to me any longer. It seems I am unwelcome no matter where I go…"

Playing the card of the lonely and misunderstood boy seemed to be working, for Makoto's expression softened and she sighed.

"I accept your apologies, Akechi-kun. But only if you accept mine. I have to say, I couldn't trust you either in the start, because I was afraid you were suspecting me and the others were the infamous Phantom Thieves…" she confessed.

"Not at all" he shook his head with a smile. "My intentions are true: Akira and I… sort of became friends at a certain point. I cannot even tell when and how it happened, but here we are."

"Yes, I noticed" she nodded, but she still seemed to be choosing her words carefully around him.

"Nijima-san, I may not be as flawless as people think, but I can guarantee you –and I swear it on my life- that I truly care for Akira. You can say he… is my only friend" he muttered, and Makoto could feel a wave of loneliness and sadness coming from the boy in front of her. He did seem sincere…

"I can hardly believe that Goro Akechi doesn't have any friends other than Akira Kurusu" she giggled, mostly as a way to discover more.

"I am telling the truth" he shook his head, his eyes hiding some deep emotion. "Forget how popular I am… or rather, _was_. That never really helped me make friends. Sure, people praise me and adore me and stop me to ask for an autograph, but they never ask to meet the real Goro Akechi. Or maybe I never really gave them a chance…"

"Why not?"

"Because… I am afraid…"

The sorrow and regret he was feeling was almost tangible, and Makoto felt deeply sorry for the young man in front of her. If he really was the assassin behind all those mysterious deaths, was it safe to say they had been provoked because of his lack of affection?

"Well, then I can ask you that" she said kindly. "Who is the real Goro Akechi?"

His eyes lifted to meet hers and for several seconds he simply stared at her, as if pondering what to say next. "He is…"

"There you are, lovebirds!"

Ann was running towards them holding a large smoothie and with a satisfied smile on her face. Akira and Ryuji were following suit with heavy bags, looking tired and mentally drained.

For the first time in her life, Makoto could say she was not particularly happy to have been interrupted by her best friends. Akechi had seemed so close to telling her something important…

"Having fun? We've been chilling all day and then went to shop a little" the blond girl beamed.

"A little?" Ryuji repeated angrily. "A little?!"

"Ryuji, stop complaining and lift that bag a little higher, will you? I don't want the bags to get dirty"

"You serious?!" he snapped. "Why don't you carry 'em yourself uh, Miss Model?!"

"Tsk" Ann decided to ignore the blonde entirely and focused once more on Akechi and Makoto. "So, dinner?"

"You've been eatin' all day, woman! Do you even have room for more?!"

"RYUJI, I SAID SHUT UP!"

The atmosphere had been totally ruined, but Makoto made sure to lock eyes with Akira, hoping he could understand she had discovered something. Judging by the look he gave her and the small nod of his head, he had got it.

"Hey, where's Mishima-kun?" Makoto had just realized the group was missing one, and Ryuji shrugged. "Said he needed to update his blog or som'ing. But _I_ suspect he simply doesn't have money to buy food, and prefers to eat at the hotel 'cause it's for free, y' know."

"So what will it be?" Ann asked again. "I was thinking about Big Bang Burger."

"Hell no!" Ryuji complained "We eat there all the time in Japan! I wanna try some local food!"

"It's expensive, Ryuji. I don't think we can afford it…"

"Hey, speak for yourself!"

The group of friends then decided to follow a very excited Ryuji to a local restaurant not too far from the café where Makoto and Akechi had been sitting, Ann smirking triumphantly when Ryuji's jaws dropped when he checked the prices.

"Maybe Big Bang Burger doesn't sound so bad after all" the boy said in defeat, and so the five friends headed all the way back to the fast food store.

"Well, what a coincidence."

"HOLY SHIT!" Ryuji shouted in disbelief. "What the hell are you doin' here, Yusuke?!"

The blue-haired boy was standing in front of the large menu posted to the wall outside the locale for everyone to see, and he seemed to be pondering how much of his budget he was allowed to use for today's meal.

"I thought your school was going to Los Angeles" Makoto said surprised.

"Indeed" Yusuke nodded. "However, a terrible storm made it impossible to land there, and we were therefore brought here instead."

"Wow, what are the odds?" Akira smirked.

"Yeah, if Futaba was here we could almost say we were complete" Ryuji chuckled, but Akira and Makoto didn't join him: they were too busy watching Akechi's reaction. The boy, however, seemed to be perfectly capable of ignoring the blonde's constantly offensive comments.

"It's OK" he said with a small smile. "I know he didn't mean to be rude."

"Indeed. Ryuji can be as delicate as graffiti in a Van Gogh exhibit" Yusuke said dreamily.

"Hey, are you trying to pick a fight?" Ryuji retorted angrily, but Yusuke simply smirked and ignored him. "Shall we eat?"

Joined by Yusuke, they all waited in line for their turn to place an order and, once finished, wandered around the locale until they found a large table where they could all sit together.

"I have to say" Ryuji said while chewing on his burger "You don't find a Hawaiian-style cheeseburger in Tokyo!"

"Yes, apparently every Big Bang Burger has a different menu depending on the country you're in" Ann confirmed. "Ryuji, put that bag back on the chair!"

"You can't occupy a chair with bags, Ann!"

"I am NOT having my precious bags on the floor of a fast food!"

Akechi watched the two teenagers bickering and realized that, for once in his lifetime, he wasn't bothered by it. Normally, people fighting or chatting about trivial things would be uninteresting for him, but sitting around the circular table with those boys and girls felt somehow different. It felt like he _belonged_.

"How's the burger, Goro?" Akira asked him as he bit his.

"Worth its price, I suppose" he shrugged with a smirk.

"The famous Goro Akechi eating at Big Bang Burger. I thought you only attended these classy dinners with prosecutors and judges" Yusuke said. "I can only imagine what they serve at those kinds of places…"

"Oh not at all!" he laughed amused. "I can barely afford to buy ramen once a month, so most of the times I just buy some simple take-away at the local fast foods or make my own meals."

"You can cook?!" Ann exclaimed impressed. "Like, I can barely boil an egg!"

"Well, I do live on my own, you know" he smiled softly.

"Don't you have parents or som'ing?" Ryuji asked with a frown, and Akechi shook his head.

"As I already told Akira, I never met my father. And my mother…"

"…she died when you were a baby" Akira finished for him, his voice sounding softer than ever.

"Well, that is only partly true…" Akechi confessed, and he could feel everyone's gaze on him. "Yes, she died when I was but an infant. However, what I never told you, Akira, is that… she suicided."

Every single one of them gasped in shock, Ann and Makoto brought a hand to their mouth.

"What? Why would she do something like that?" Yusuke inquired.

"Can't you imagine?" Akechi chuckled bitterly "She was too ashamed after my father left her when he learned she was with child. And I guess that my birth… the joy of having a child, was not enough for her…"

"Don't say that…" Ann muttered sadly. "I am sure she did love you…"

"If she did, she would still be alive" he stated assertively. "She would have spared me the childhood I was forced to have. Can you imagine what it feels like to share a tiny room with twenty more kids? Waiting for someone to see something special in you and take you home? And feel like you belong somewhere? That is what I had to go through every day and every night, changing foster home every few months or so, because I was not enough…"

"No, Akechi-kun…" Makoto whispered, unable to believe her ears.

He was so angry he barely noticed he was shaking, and he had to fight back the tears in his eyes. Why was he telling them the truth about his childhood anyway? What good could come out of it?

"I never met my father either, if that makes you feel better" Yusuke was the first to speak after a long pause. Akechi's lips parted as he concentrated to hear more. "My mother died when I was three years old, and then… well, I was lucky because Madarame gave me a place to stay. But you know very well how that turned out. When the Phantom Thieves made him confess, I discovered he had killed my mother and stolen her most beautiful painting and was making copies of it to sell them and gain money."

"That's… that's awful" Akechi whispered, clenching his fists.

"And my father" Ryuji intervened "He used to beat me and my mom up all the time. He was an alcoholic that forced my mom to work day and night to bring enough money home so that he could play at the slot machines and buy more drinks… And when I thought we had finally gotten rid of him, that bastard Kamoshida came along and broke my leg to ruin my career as a runner for the school's track team."

"But Ann had it even worse…" Akira continued, looking at the blond girl who, upon hearing her name, diverted her eyes. "She was forced to have a relationship with Kamoshida because the bastard was blackmailing her and her best friend Shiho. The poor girl almost killed herself when the abuses became unbearable."

"Please, I don't want to remember that…" Ann whined, a tear escaping her eye.

"Then there is me" Makoto smiled bitterly. "When my father died, my sister was forced to graduate as quickly as possible and find a good job to support the two of us. I've always felt a weight for her, a parasite… And the adults all around me would only use me for their own purposes…"

"And finally, there's me" Akira said. "But you know the story."

Akechi had listened to each and every one of them with great interest, and realized that their stories were just as terrifying as his. Stories that no children should be telling. Why was society so unjust? Why were they paying the price of adults' lust, thirst for power, indifference and negligence? It was so unfair he could feel every single nerve in his body burning with rage.

"So that's why…" he then stated calmly. "That's why you all became Phantom Thieves."

* * *

Despite the loud chattering all around them, the table they were sitting at felt like it was engulfed in a sound-proof bubble, such was the heavy silence that had fallen on them.

"W-what?" Ryuji was the first to speak, looking at his fellow comrades as a trickle of sweat ran down his temple.

"No, you are mistaken" Ann giggled nervously. "I mean, I know it sounds like we all had a reason to seek revenge, but we are _not_ the Phantom Thieves!"

"I've known for a very long time, now" Akechi continued as calmly as before. "You don't need to worry about it, though. I have no intention of reporting you."

"Why not?" Yusuke asked.

"Because…"

"…because you feel the same way, am I right?" Akira suggested, and Akechi nodded.

"Akira, do you remember when I told you that sometimes I think the Phantom Thieves are doing the right thing?"

The dark-haired boy nodded and let him continue. "Now I understand why you're all doing it, although I may not approve the methods you use. I just wish… I wish I could do more to help you."

"Not reporting us would be more than enough, thank you" Yusuke said.

"I promise on my honor I will not reveal your true identities. For now, this is all I can do for you guys" Akechi continued.

Unbeknownst to them all, a few tables away from theirs, a man dressed in casual local clothes was sitting alone with a tray of burger and fries, still untouched. He was wearing a pair of dark sunglasses and was busy talking on the phone.

"Yes, sir. I can confirm it. Affirmative, I have visual evidence. Yes, sir."

* * *

It was dark when they arrived at the hotel, each one of them feeling lighter as if a weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

"Well, I suppose I will see you guys tomorrow!" Ann smiled broadly, as she waved at her friends.

"Yes, thank you for today. And thank you for the ice-cream, Akira" Yusuke nodded, proceeding to his room on the first floor.

"See ya!"

"Goodnight!"

Makoto and Akechi rode the elevator to the fourth floor together, both unsure what to say after discovering so much about each other. When Akechi opened the room, Makoto shyly stepped inside, feeling a swirl of different emotions: Akechi had finally confessed he knew about their identities, but decided to keep quiet about him being the black-masked intruder behind the mental shutdowns. However, even if she knew he was a Persona-user because he could hear Morgana, and although he had a valid reason to be mad at society for what happened to him when he was a child, they still didn't have a proper evidence that he was the dangerous hitman that had caused the death of so many, including Futaba's mother. After all, he had seemed genuinely touched by their own stories and angry for what they'd had to go through, so why would he kill innocent people? If she had to be completely honest, most of the deaths reported in the newspapers and on TV regarded shady politicians, but some others seemed to be normal people with normal lives. She couldn't find a correlation between the murderers, and couldn't believe Akechi was the one behind them all. Maybe Akira was right, maybe they'd been wrong about the detective all along…

But then why was he hiding the fact he could summon a Persona?

"Nijima-san…"

Makoto turned to look at Akechi standing in the doorway. "…may I ask you a question about the Phantom Thieves?"

"Go ahead."

"How do you trigger a change of heart?"

She was actually surprised to hear the question: being a Persona-user himself, he must have surely heard of Treasures which, once stolen, would make the Palace crumble and the ruler confess their crimes. Could it be that he was new to the powers? In that case, he couldn't possibly be the black-masked intruder, for they knew he was incredibly powerful. Or maybe he was bluffing?

"I don't think you'd believe me" she decided to reply with a small smile, before kicking off her shoes and lying on her bed.

"Try me" he insisted, sitting on his own bed and staring at her.

"We use this app on our phone, end up in a different world called Metaverse. We track down our target, whose distorted desires create what we call Palaces, and steal the Treasure hidden deep within. The Treasure itself is the manifestation of the ruler's true desire, and can only manifest once their real self has been warned someone is going to steal it. Which is why we send calling cards. Once the Treasure is stolen, so is their desire. Without the object of their distortion, the person has a change of heart and simply confesses" she explained, trying to sound as simple as possible.

"I see…" he muttered as he massaged his chin.

"You... don't seem surprised" she stated with a frown, and he chuckled lightly. "No, I'm not. I want to believe you."

"Well then, I guess it is my turn to ask you a question, if it's OK" Makoto said, and he nodded. "Is there… is there something you'd like to tell me?"

"What would that be?" he gave her a quizzical look, however he seemed slightly nervous.

"I don't know. You tell me" she said while resting the back of her head on her arms.

"I am confident I have told you everything there is to know about me" he retorted, but quickly stood up and went for the bathroom. "I know it's almost past ten, but I was hoping to take a shower, if it's OK with you."

"Sure, no problem" she said, and listened to him walking to the bathroom and locked the door, followed shortly after by the sound of splashing water.

She had no idea what to believe. Was Akechi an ally or a foe?

* * *

When he was finished showering and putting on his pajama, he opened the door and quietly stepped outside, his eyes falling immediately on the girl lying in bed. She had apparently fallen asleep with her clothes still on, and in what looked like a very uncomfortable position. He sighed and strode towards her bed, gently moving her to one side so that she wouldn't wake up with a backache the following day. She moaned quietly but didn't wake up.

Akechi watched the peaceful girl breathing regularly for a while, but his head was running a million miles an hour. He had been a fool to confess he knew about their identities, and couldn't honestly understand why he had taken such a decision back at the fast food. Of course, he would be needing to do it anyway one day, but not this soon. What was happening to him? He used to have full control over his actions and words, but whenever he was around the Phantom Thieves, he ran purely on instincts.

What was he supposed to do now? Besides, Nijima-san did ask him those strange questions that made him believe she knew more than she let on.

 _"_ _Who is the real Goro Akechi?"_ and _"Is there something you'd like to tell me?"_

He remembered how he had promised he would take care of this nuisance and eliminate her, and he could do it now. She was so defenseless in that exact moment… all he needed to do was activate the app, bring her to the Metaverse while she was still unconscious and her life would suddenly end. She wouldn't feel a thing…

The window suddenly burst open as a gust of cold wind entered the room, the curtains fluttering in all directions, and Makoto instinctively curled up into a ball, frowning in her sleep. Akechi wrapped his fingers around the bed sheets and pulled them over the girl, making sure no parts of her body were exposed. He then crouched beside her and observed her as her lips curled in a contented smile.

"Dammit…"

* * *

 **Oh. Oh. Oh. Aren't things getting interesting...**

 **Fluff fluff fluff alert in the next chapter! :D**


	9. Hawaiian Holidays! Part 2

**Here's the second part, which marks the end of the Phantom Thieves' holidays! ...In a very unexpected way. Maybe.**

 **Well, hope you enjoy it! :D**

* * *

When she opened her eyes, sunlight was streaming in the room and almost blinded her. She blinked a few times and placed a hand over her eyes to shield them from the strong light. As she tried to get up, she realized she was wrapped up in candid white sheets which she didn't remember putting on during the night. Did she do it instinctively? Or maybe…?

"Good morning" Akechi greeted her as he emerged from the bathroom. "I took the liberty to use the bathroom first since you were still asleep. But I am almost done."

"Uhm…" she groaned groggily and swung her legs over the bed to finally stand up. "Was it… cold tonight?"

"Oh about that" Akechi's voice sounded a bit fainter from the bathroom. "I made sure you wouldn't freeze to death. Hope you don't mind."

So it _had_ been him…

"N-no, I don't… Thank you."

"No sweat!"

When she walked past the large mirror attached to one of the walls of the room, she stopped in her tracks and repositioned herself in front if it: her hair was sticking in every direction, her clothes were all wrinkled and her make-up almost completely gone. She suppressed a shriek of panic as she ran to the closet and retrieved her toilet map and a hairbrush.

"There, you can go in now" he announced as he made his entrance looking bloody handsome as always. He stopped to look at her, one hand holding the hairbrush and the other what looked like an eyeliner, her expression that of someone being caught red-handed.

"No need to make yourself beautiful for me" he smirked broadly, and she quickly pouted.

"I was… I am not…"

"Hey relax" he chuckled. "Besides, you look cute even without that."

She froze there, her cheeks feeling suddenly very warm and she was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the temperature outside.

"I will be waiting downstairs with the others" he said as he headed towards the door, a bag over his shoulder.

"R-right."

* * *

Being her skin as white as the hotel sheets, Makoto had decided to join her friends to the beach. After eating breakfast all together, they walked to the seaside and marveled once more at the sight of the beautiful ocean sparkling under the sun. The palm trees created just enough shades where they could repair themselves when it got too warm, and soon enough they were all heading to the wooden cabins nearby to get changed into their swimsuits. When Makoto was finished and stepped outside on the hot sand, Akira, Ryuji, Yusuke and Mishima –who had joined them at the last second- were already waiting for the rest of the group. Akechi came out shortly after wearing only a pair of shorts and, for the first time in her life, Makoto felt suddenly very aware of her exposed skin under his intense gaze. Ann was the last one to emerge, muttering apologies and getting on Ryuji's nerves.

"Damn, it's hot!" the blond boy whined as he began sweating. "Much hotter than yesterday. I say we start with a nice swim!"

"Yeah, I'm in!" Ann approved enthusiastically. "Are you guys coming too?"

"Last one who dives is a loooooseeeer!"

Makoto and Akechi watched as the five friends ran like never before and disappeared into the sea with a loud splash. "You're not going?"

"Uh?" she turned to him. "Oh, I think I will wait a bit before diving. I still feel heavy after eating breakfast."

They went to sit under a palm tree, with Makoto wrapping her arms around her chest, her cheeks a dark shade of pink. For some reason, the sight of an embarrassed Makoto Niijima made Akechi smile.

"Good morning, there!" a man holding a bunch of handmade and colorful sailor knot bracelets approached them with a huge grin, speaking in broken Japanese. "Want buy bracelet?"

"Oh wow!" Makoto's attention was finally piqued as she examined the bracelets with shining eyes. "They are beautiful!"

"Each of them have different meaning" the man explained. "You take one, fate decide for you."

"Does it mean I pick a random one, and you will tell me what it signifies?" Makoto asked, and the man nodded excitedly. "Aww, I am afraid I do not have any money though. I left my purse at the hotel…"

"How much is it?" Akechi asked.

"Only three dollars, sir. You pay five dollars, you get two!"

Akechi rummaged in his backpack for a few seconds before he took out a few dollars and handed them to the man. "Thank you, sir! Thank you! Now pick your bracelets!"

The man scattered the bracelets on the sand for them to choose one each. Makoto went for a white and turquoise one, while Akechi picked a black and indigo bracelet.

"Oh, interesting!" the man beamed. "Let's see. White and turquoise indicate pure spirit, willing to give its all to others. You are kind-hearted woman who put trust in others, even those who maybe no deserve. As for you, sir. Black and indigo, often mistaken as colors of dark and untrustworthy. Though they are indeed associated to mysterious people, often with difficult past, they indicate strong personality with will to sacrifice everything for people they love."

Akechi and Makoto kept examining their bracelet as they listened to the man speak. "I have to say, it is first time I see someone like you two. So different and yet so _meant to be_."

"What?" Akechi gave the man a quizzical look, but he was already walking his own way, snickering. "What a weird guy."

"Thank you, Akechi-kun. You… didn't have to do this for me" Makoto said gratefully. "I feel like I am learning so many unexpected things about you…"

Akechi was taken aback by her words but resolved to shake his head and smile. "I… can say the same about you."

"Loooooovebiiiirds! Quit being asocial and come play some volleyball with us!"

"Though I wish Ann stopped saying that" Makoto added, her face cherry-red. "Ah well, shall we?"

* * *

Another sunset was falling over them as the sea turned a deep orange color and the shades from the palm trees grew larger on the pearly sand. The seven friends emerged from the water laughing and chasing each other to see who would get changed first. As he shifted into more comfortable and dry clothes, Akechi could barely believe he had gotten to be part of that group. Every minute spent with them made him forget entirely who he was and what he had done, as well as erasing every thought of revenge and painful memories. He was a better person when he was surrounded by them, his _friends_ and, in return, the others seemed to be opening up to him more. However, he knew this was a temporary reward, a small present life made him before turning into a living hell once again. He knew perfectly well that, once back in Japan, their paths would diverge once more and that he would be required to kill more and more and more… And then Akira…

But what if he decided to quit? What if he asked the Phantom Thieves to help him change Shido's heart? He was even willing to abandon his desire to avenge his mother and make the bastard pay for all the crap he had caused, as long as he could get to remain friends with them. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, however, he remembered that he was a murderer. What would their reaction be when they found out? Would they still be willing to have him by their side? Would they forgive him? Jeez, he had even killed that girl's mother, Wakaba Isshiki. How could he be one of them knowing he was responsible for their misery? Maybe he could keep it a secret and reveal only one side of him, the one in princely garbs using Robin Hood as his Persona. No need to show them his other self…

No, they didn't deserve that. They had been too kind, too understanding for him to lie to them. He knew there was no hope for him, no redemption. But he could still repair the damage, at least partly. He could save them. Save Akira.

His eyes fell on the bracelet on his right wrist, and he remembered the man's words. _"The will to sacrifice everything for the people they love_." Could it really be what it was required of him? Was this really fate? Him obtaining the Wild Card power, then meeting Akira with the same ability and then the rest of the Phantom Thieves… The fact he felt such a strong bond with them _had_ to mean something. He could no longer deny his feelings, because he felt truly happy and whole whenever he was with them...

"Goro, you OK in there?" Akira called from outside his cabin. "Yusuke's starving!"

"I'm coming!" he responded, as he took one more look at the bracelet and finally opened the door to be reunited with the rest of the party.

* * *

"Akechi-kun… AKECHI-KUN!"

"Wha-"

Akechi woke up with a startle as someone kept shouting his name in his ear, as well as shaking him in bed. His eyes stung as they came in contact with sunlight but he still managed to focus them on a very agitated Niijima-san. "What's going on?"

"You've GOT to kill it!"

"What? What're you talking about?" Akechi was now genuinely worried about the girl's behavior and got up on his feet to check she wasn't feeling sick.

"KILL IT!" she shrieked and promptly hid herself behind his back, placing both her hands on his shoulders.

Only then did Akechi see what was terrorizing her: it was a spider, probably larger than most in Japan, but looking relatively peaceful and harmless. It was crawling freely on the wooden floor, advancing toward the source of all the screaming.

"MY GOSH, KILL IT! CRUSH IT! ERASE IT FROM EXISTENCE!"

"Calm down! It's just a spider!"

"It's not JUST a spider! It's a MONSTER! And it's HUGE!"

"Niijima-san… I am seriously shocked you are afraid of a tiny thing like that…"

"KILLLLLL IT!"

She was so scared now she had started digging her nails into his skin and he actually groaned in pain when he felt it tear.

"What?! Did it bite you? Is it poisonous? Say something, Akechi-kun!"

"It's… just… your nails…" he managed to blurt out as tears stung his eyes.

"Oh, sorry!"

In the mayhem she had caused, Akechi lost sight of the spider, which made Makoto jump on his bed and freak out even more. "Give me a Shadow, the biggest and scariest ever, but not a spider! Anything but spiders!"

"Quiet down!" he hissed. "You're going to alert people!"

"WHERE DID IT GO?!"

Akechi began his quest to find Niijima-san's biggest fear, until he found it hiding under his bed. He took a piece of paper and wrapped the spider in it, before throwing it out the window.

"There. It's gone."

"You… didn't kill it, though" she muttered once she had calmed down.

"Why would I? It didn't do anything wrong" he replied calmly. Maybe it was just his imagination, but it seemed to him that his decision to let the spider live had surprised the girl.

"Thank you…" she finally sat on his bed, crossing her legs. "You have no idea how much I hate spiders…"

"I think I know, now" he joked, as he gave her a smile and she returned it.

* * *

The usual group of friends had gathered up at the same spot for another day at the beach. Ryuji was already feeling moody because the following day would be their last before traveling back to Japan. Unbeknownst to them, Akechi was feeling the same way because he was scared to face reality and return to his old life, a life of loneliness and misery where chaos was the only friend he ever knew.

"Well, think positive" Akira told his blond friend. "At least you can finish that shooter game you were so excited about."

"I know right! But still…"

"C'mon Ryuji, think about Christmas!" Ann tried to cheer him up.

"Yeah, that's in three months, which means I have to survive ninety shitty days of school!"

"What does it matter?" Yusuke intervened. "It's not like you ever open a book, anyway."

"Look who's talkin'!"

"What about you Akechi-kun? Looking forward to going back home?" Ann asked him.

"Eh, I have to agree with Ryuji" Akechi rubbed the back of his neck and smiled. "I really like it here, but I guess it can't be avoided."

"See?" Ann turned to Ryuji and gave him a hard look. " _He_ is taking it like a man."

"Oh shut up!"

"They make a nice couple, don't they?" Makoto whispered to him out of the blue, chuckling softly.

"Yeah" he nodded.

"Aaanyway" Ryuji decided to change topic and was now speaking exclusively to the male members of the party. "Does any of you have a chick?"

"A chick?" Yusuke lifted an eyebrow.

"Yeah, a girlfriend" Ryuji specified.

All the boys exchanged a pitiful look and then turned to Akechi. "What about you, mister Handsome Detective? You must be the most experienced one, here. So, got any tips?"

"Uh?" Akechi widened his eyes as he felt everyone's gaze on him. "What?"

"C'mon, don't play dumb with us" Ryuji smirked and nudged him in the side. "We know all the girls are crazy for you."

Akechi was pretty sure he was blushing furiously now, and lifted his arms in a "time-out" position. "Sorry to disappoint you!"

"No way!" Ryuji whistled in disbelief. "You gotta be shittin' me!"

"Come on, Akechi-kun!" Mishima pleaded. "We are quite desperate…"

"No need to say that, Mishima!" Ryuji yelled, as Ann and Makoto giggled amused.

"Look at you guys" Ann mocked. "Acting all big and strong, and yet can't even find yourself a girl!"

"Hey that's… that's a low blow!" Ryuji whined, his cheeks turning a dark shade of pink.

"I am being one hundred percent honest with you. I mean, yes I am quite popular, but I… ehm, never had time for that kind of things…" Akechi confessed sadly.

"Are you serious?! I thought having a celebrity with us would finally score us a girl!" Ryuji was on the verge of crying, but Akira patted him on his shoulder with what he probably believed to be a consolatory gesture.

"Maybe you should lower your standards first, _Casanova_ " Ann said angrily. "The only girls you ever approach all are at least ten years older than you."

"Who else would I ask out?" the blond boy widened his eyes in shock. "I want an experienced girl!"

"Then you're going to be single for the rest of your life!" and, with that, Ann stomped away.

"What the hell is wrong with her?" Ryuji was left baffled as he turned to his friends for an answer. "What did I do?"

"Oh Ryuji, you really don't get it" Makoto shook her head with a smile and palmed her face.

* * *

Ann didn't show up for the rest of the afternoon until someone knocked on their room. Akechi went to open and found himself face to face with Takamaki-san herself, looking disappointed and downhearted.

"Can't believe the girl I'm sharing a room with just locked herself inside with her boyfriend. And I left my key inside!"

 _Knock. Knock._

When Akechi opened the door again seconds after closing it, he was met with Akira and Ryuji.

"Oh, did everyone have the same idea?" the blonde said when he spotted Ann sat on Akechi's bed. "The dude I partnered with is currently snogging his girlfriend, and I had no intention to see what would happen next…"

"And Mishima is feeling sick and locked himself in the bathroom. I seriously don't want to be in the same room as a bacteria-magnet, right now" Akira said next.

"Uhm…" Makoto gave Akechi an uncertain look, asking for his permission with her eyes and he nodded with a smile.

"You can sleep here tonight, if you want. Takamaki-chan, you can have my bed. The rest of us will be sleeping on the sofa or on the floor" Akechi said kindly.

"No way!" Ann protested. "I would feel bad if you guys were forced to sleep on the floor because of us! We… we can share the beds, I guess…"

"But it's not big enough for everyone. I mean, they are single beds after all" Ryuji reasoned.

"Well, it's big enough for two. So one of you can sleep on the sofa and the rest shares the beds."

"I'll take the sofa" Akira said promptly raising a hand in the air. "You guys have fun sleeping in twenty centimeters of space."

"No fair! Why do you get to take the sofa?" Ryuji complained.

"'Cause I'm the leader. Oh, and behave. I will be watching you"

The rest of the evening went by discussing who would be sharing their bed with whom, for Ann seemed to be too angry at Ryuji to let him be in the same personal space as hers. Makoto's face, on the other hand, had turned into a perfect imitation of a giant tomato as she measured the available space in bed once she had lied down.

Akechi didn't mind sharing a bed with whoever, but he had to admit it was quite amusing to observe Sakamoto-kun and Takamaki-chan bickering like that, and so strode toward Niijima-san's bed. She eyed him carefully, studying his every move as he sat beside her and then lied down. He turned the other way, his back brushing against her and he felt her shiver slightly.

"Stop moving!"

"You are the one kicking me!"

"Quiet down, you two!"

As Akira yelled at the two blond friends, silence finally fell over them in the dark room. Akechi found it difficult to fall asleep given the lack of space, and he forced himself to remain in the uncomfortable position because he was so afraid to disturb the dark-haired girl's slumber. However, now that it was dead silent in the room, he could hear she was breathing irregularly. Apparently, he was not the only one having troubles falling asleep. Too afraid to disturb the others, Akechi pretended not to notice and forced his eyelids closed.

* * *

Makoto opened her eyes but couldn't see anything and, for a brief moment, she thought she had become blind. She tried blinking but didn't get any results. The only thing she was aware of was the hardness of the pillow and the fresh smell of shower gel. Shower gel for men.

She almost jumped back as realization hit her. Moving her head backwards she discovered with horror she had moved during the night, and had been resting her head in Akechi's chest. Makoto quickly turned to make sure the others were still asleep and, to her relief, they were. She smiled tenderly as she watched Ann curled up against Ryuji, the boy's arm wrapped around the slim girl's waist and with a peaceful expression on their faces. At least, until they'd wake up. Akira was breathing softly with his arms crossed over his chest, facing the ceiling.

She then went to examine Akechi once again. The boy was fast asleep, his lips parted slightly and some strands of hair falling on his face. He looked so young and peaceful in that moment she felt stupid for doubting him even for a second. Yes, he had secrets he was hiding from them, and yes he had looked dangerous once, but could she really blame him? She _had_ been spying on him after all, as well as lying to him. Multiple times.

She rested her head on her pillow once again, her eyes locked onto his handsome face. As if feeling her intense gaze, his eyes opened slightly, his pupils dilated as he groggily stared back at her, before closing his eyes again and a small smile appeared on his face.

That insignificant episode made her heart skip a beat and, for once, she could say it hadn't been caused by fear.

* * *

She awoke to the sound of someone shouting. Someone familiar. As she lazily turned the other way to see what was happening, Ryuji and Ann were standing in front of each other, with the blond girl blabbing something about "invading her personal space."

Akira's eyes were now open and locked onto the ceiling above him, his arms still crossed over his chest as he patiently waited for them to stop. When Makoto looked behind herself, she saw Akechi sat on the bed, rubbing his eyes. Suddenly, she felt the bed had turned cold, too cold, as well as a side of her body, no doubt where he had been leaning against during his sleep. The memory of waking up buried in his chest made her stomach twitch pleasantly, and she frowned at the odd and unfamiliar sensation.

"Will you… will you calm down?" Ryuji was saying "Look, you woke everyone up!"

"Next time you learn to keep your hands off me!" she ignored him completely and kept on shouting.

Akechi brushed the unruly strands of hair away from his face and looked at Akira first, then Makoto. "Breakfast?"

"God, yes" Akira sighed as he shot back up on his feet.

* * *

None of them was surprised when they found Yusuke filling his plate with all the food he could grab at the hotel buffet. He greeted them all with a satisfied smile and asked how they had slept.

"Good until fifteen minutes ago" Akira told him, and then proceeded to explain what had happened.

"Aaah, Ryuji is one lucky man!" Yusuke smiled contentedly, before groaning in pain as Makoto intentionally stepped on his foot. "You perv!"

"I wonder how Mishima is doing" Akira muttered and then shrugged his shoulders. "No matter. I'm digging in!"

They all took a plate and filled it with delicious food, then sat at a large table by the window. Being so early in the morning, they were the first ones to arrive and could claim the best seats which overlooked the pool outside. Their peaceful breakfast, however, was interrupted by the arrival of Ryuji and Ann themselves, still bickering though more quietly. The two blondes sat at opposite sides and decided to ignore each other for the time being.

"So, today's the last day, uh?" Yusuke spoke first as he buttered his toasted bread.

"Yeah" Akira sighed. "It's gone too fast."

"Indeed."

"Hey guyph!" Ryuji butted in, his mouth full of scrambled eggs. "Hwowh abwoh we mwhakhe a phonphire funaght?"

"Excuse me?" Makoto asked politely, raising an eyebrow.

Ryuji swallowed hard –Ann giving him a disgusted look- and repeated. "How about we make a bonfire tonight?"

"Sounds like an excellent idea!" Yusuke chuckled. "We could grill something on the beach."

"I'm game!" Akira agreed enthusiastically.

"Well then, I say we go shopping for souvenirs and food, and then chill on the beach. And after sunset, we can change into warmer clothes and meet up at the beach!" Ryuji suggested enthusiastically and everyone nodded.

"Let's make the most out of our last day here!"

* * *

Akira and Akechi had been assigned to the grill, with Ann nominating Akechi their "trustworthy master chef". He still didn't know whether to take it as a compliment or not.

Ann and Makoto were preparing the table with chairs they had borrowed from a street restaurant, Ryuji was making the bonfire and Yusuke was painting on his canvas. It was a beautiful night, the starred sky their main source of light and with the moon mirrored in the waves of the sea.

As the delicious smell of grilled meat rose from the disposable grill they were using, Ann and Makoto came with large paper plates for the two cooks to place the food on them.

"Holy moly, this is gonna be a party in my mouth!" Ryuji commented excited as he grabbed fork and knife.

"That's the first sentence I hear you say which does not contain a vulgar word, Ryuji" Yusuke said as he stabbed a sausage.

"That's SO not true!"

"Any news about Mishima?" Makoto asked Akira.

"Uhm, yes. Apparently he drank tap water and got poisoned. He is much better now" the dark-haired boy answered calmly.

"What an idiot! Who the hell drinks tap water away from home?!" Ryuji laughed.

"Yuuki Mishima."

"Hah!"

Akechi had never felt better before, as he enjoyed grilled food with his friends and the gentle breeze caressed his skin. He'd give anything to be able to stay like that forever…

"Want more salad?"

"Sure! Thanks."

They were all chattering amicably, for once avoiding bickering even though that part amused Akechi immensely.

The peace he was feeling was suddenly interrupted by a text he received. He frowned, because he knew only one person who would send him a message from Japan that late at night. And he was not wrong.

 _"_ _Come straight to my office when you land in Japan tomorrow."_

Akechi stared at the words on his screen wide-eyed, as raw fear pervaded every fiber of his body. How the hell had Shido gotten to know he was in Hawaii in the first place? He had made sure to keep it a secret…

"Something wrong, Goro?" Akira was the first to realize something was bugging his friend, but the brown-haired boy shook his head and forced a smile on his face. "No, just checking the data I used so far here in Hawaii. Gonna regret having the 4G on all the time when the bill comes."

"Meh, don't tell me. Been talking to my mom for over an hour today, and I don't even want to imagine how much I will be needing to save up to pay the bill…" Ryuji whined.

Akechi chuckled amused, but his smile almost immediately vanished. He was extremely concerned…

From the other end of the table, Makoto was studying his strange behavior. Something was definitely off.

* * *

She made sure to sound the same as always when they returned back to their hotel room to spend the last night before departing. She was waiting for the perfect opportunity, and it came when Akechi went to the bathroom to take his usual evening shower. By now, Makoto had memorized all of his daily routines: when he'd take a shower, where he'd keep his stuff and, particularly, where he left his phone.

As soon as she heard the water pouring from the shower, she stood up and quickly went to push his pillow to one side, revealing his smartphone resting under it. She grabbed it and tapped on the screen before it could lock up. Luckily, he had been using it mere moments before and had forgotten to push the lock button.

With shaking hands, she tapped on the Inbox icon and it revealed dozens of messages from an unknown number. All of them were short texts, mainly asking him to come to _his_ office. She then proceeded to open the most recent message.

 _"_ _Come straight to my office when you land in Japan"_

Could that be a teacher? Or the principal? Or maybe someone from the TV station? She was quite surprised at how rude those messages all sounded, as if the sender had been in a hurry or had no consideration at all for Akechi-kun.

She kept scrolling down, examining the messages one by one until one particular text caught her eye.

" _Get ready. I have another target for you, and you must take care of him straight away."_

She almost dropped her phone as she brought a hand to her mouth. A new target…? Did that mean…?

She was so shocked she didn't even notice the sound of the running water had stopped and, shortly after, Akechi was emerging from the bathroom as he dried his hair with a towel. "Dang, that was go- what are you doing?"

He froze where he was, drops of water falling from his hair to his shoulders and his eyes flashed dangerously.

"I- I was…" she stammered, quickly dropping the phone onto his bed.

He strode directly towards her and pushed her to one side before collecting his phone and checking the screen.

"How much did you read?" he asked, his voice calm and controlled which she knew was never a good sign.

"I… nothing, I swear!" she lied, feeling suddenly in danger again, just like that day in Shibuya.

"Niijima-san" he slowly turned to face her. "Do you think you're talking to an idiot?"

"N-no, but…" she was taking small steps backwards, trying to put as much distance as possible between herself and a very threatening-looking Akechi.

"I will ask again, then" his voice slightly louder. "How much did you read?"

At this point, Makoto wasn't sure what to do: should she keep lying or tell him the truth? Either way, she doubted it would end well for her.

"…HELP!" she screamed as loud as she could, before being slammed against the wall by a pair of strong arms, as Akechi's hand covered her mouth.

"You _foolish_ girl!" he hissed angrily "Do you have the slightest idea what you've done?"

Unable to speak, she eyed him fearfully as her heart beat out of control. If the messages were true, she had just been cornered by the most dangerous murderer Japan had ever seen, and she was defenseless.

"Fine then" he continued, sounding almost resigned. "You got me. Now you have your damn confirmation."

He suddenly let go of her and turned around, pacing nervously back and forth.

Her legs felt like jelly and she let them buckle as she slid down the wall, tears escaping her eyes without control. She couldn't believe it: just when she had started to believe in him, to _trust_ him even, he had to turn out to be a monster.

He clutched his hands behind his back and seemed to be thinking hard.

"What will you do to me now?" she asked in a tiny voice, and he stopped pacing furiously.

"…Nothing" he replied.

"You're not… you're not going to kill me?" she widened her eyes in surprise.

"No" he said. "But I need to talk to you and Akira alone. No one else."

* * *

He had so much to do and very little time left. He knew it. And since Niijima-san had discovered his true identity, he only had a few minutes to come up with a plan to save both his life and those of the Phantom Thieves.

He had been a fool to believe he could travel to another country with the Phantom Thieves and get away with it. Of course Shido had put someone to spy on him. And his negligence had put the lives of the people he ever cared for in danger.

After making sure Niijima-san could walk on her own, he ordered her to call Akira and tell him to meet up with her on the rooftop. He would understand immediately something was off.

So far, his plan was working. Akira opened the door with more force than it was required and strode straight towards them.

"Make yourself comfortable, Joker" Akechi said in a dead serious tone. "We have a lot to discuss."

* * *

 **I had so much fun writing this chapter and both the funny and serious conversations in it! Also, there will be other pairings throughout the story if you haven't realized yet :P Of course, not as detailed as Goro's and Makoto's, but still... And yeah, I think the game kinda makes clear who it wants to end up with whom (at least, that's my personal opinion. And particularly the pairings Ann-Ryuji and Futaba-Yusuke, because all the bickering couples are the best couples!)**

 **And since we are heading towards the Great Conspiracy plot, I decided the overall story is going to get darker. But don't you worry, I've got this!**

 **Show some love if you like what you're reading, and see you all in next chap! :D**


	10. One Last Bliss

**A bit of a transition chapter, but a lot happens too: some funny stuff, some action and even some fluff here and there. However, as Ryuji would so elegantly put it: "Shit is about to get real!"**

 **BTW! For all of you who haven't checked these out yet, PLEEEASE: go to youtube and search for "The Average Phantom Thieves Meeting 2: Handling the SIU" and "persona 5 goro dancing all night". You will be taken to a whole new world... and if you really want to make your guts explode with laughter, just search for "persona 5 MMD". You're welcome :***

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"…Why, Goro? Why did you do it?"

The disappointment in Akira's voice was the worst part. He told them everything: how his thirst for revenge had led him straight to Shido, how he had turned into the monster he was because of him, his plan, _their_ plan. Everything. And he had believed it would be hard but, once started, he managed to spill it all out without a second thought. However, what hurt him more than anything was watching their faces: they weren't angry at him, as he had expected. Maybe that would have been better than the look of betrayal and pity they were wearing…

"You killed all those people…" Makoto shook her head "Because you wanted Shido to trust you enough?"

Akechi realized he could no longer look at them. He felt unworthy of standing in front of them. "I… I didn't know…"

"What? What exactly didn't you know, Goro?" Akira questioned him, raising his voice in frustration.

"I…" Akechi pursed his lips and turned the other way, an intense pain spreading through his chest. He had never felt this bad –this guilty- before…

"You didn't know you could change their hearts without killing them, did you?"

Makoto's soft words took him by surprise, and he actually gasped upon hearing them.

"That is why you asked me how we trigger a change of heart, correct?"

"…yes" he nodded in a broken voice. "But that doesn't change anything. I am still responsible for all those victims… all those lives…"

"That is true" Akira said severely. "Including Futaba's mother. She was an innocent person, working hard to support her daughter. Why did you kill her, Goro?"

"I didn't… I didn't know!" their words were like sharp blades piercing through his already bleeding heart, and he could barely contain the tears. "He said… he told me she was close to discovering the truth about the Metaverse, and that she wanted me dead. He said if I didn't eliminate her, I would be arrested and executed!"

"Lies" Akira replied sharply. "He's been lying to you all along…"

"He's been using you, Akechi-kun. Playing with your head and tricking you from the very beginning" Makoto continued, though in a sweeter tone.

"I KNOW!"

Akechi's voice resonated all around them in the silence of the night, Akira and Makoto falling quiet instantly. The brown-haired boy fell on his knees and punched the floor with both hands, and they were quite sure he was sobbing. They decided to remain silent for a while to let him calm down and see what he would do next. Makoto felt Akira getting closer to her, gently taking her hand in his and squeezing it slightly before he whispered in her ear, almost imperceptibly "If things get bad, run." She nodded.

"…Goro?"

Akira took a step forward, carefully approaching the other boy still crouched in the dark.

"…I don't have much time, Akira" he said, voice suddenly calm and controlled. "He has found me. He knows."

"What're you talking about?" the dark-haired boy asked again, studying his every movement. Akechi finally stood, his back to them. "I… have to kill you."

"What?!" Makoto and Akira were now alarmed, and the girl instinctively ran forward to grab Akira's arm and drag him away from the other boy.

"Don't you understand?" Akechi continued, his voice sounding totally different. "If I kill you, he won't suspect a thing!"

"Do you really want to kill me, Goro?" Akira said without a trace of fear in his voice. "Do you really want to kill your friend?"

Akechi finally turned to look at them both, for once showing all of his emotions: anger, fear, sadness, resolve…

"Of course not" he replied. "But that's what _he_ has to believe."

* * *

He was now sitting on his bed, watching in silence as Makoto packed the last things in her suitcase and zipped it up. He understood why she had insisted on sleeping somewhere else for the night: even though he had revealed all the truth as well as his plan to save Akira and the others, he had indeed assailed her. Twice. She was still scared to be alone with him in a small room.

"Could you… pass me the phone charger… please?" she asked in a small voice, her eyes locked onto her shoes.

"Oh, of course" he answered quickly, as he strode to her bed and collected the item. "Thank you."

When he passed it to her, their fingers brushed against each other and she flinched slightly.

He diverted his eyes, desperately wanting to tell her how sorry he was, how he'd give anything to fix what he had done. That he'd gladly sacrifice his life to bring back the ones of those he had killed, to bring back Wakaba Isshiki so that Futaba didn't need to grow up without a mother like he had been forced to do. That he'd go through the hell he had lived as a child a million times if that meant he could meet them all a couple of years earlier and change his fate. But he knew he couldn't. It was too late to apologize, too late to repair the damage.

"I guess… I'll be seeing you tomorrow at the reception" she said, standing by the door with her luggage.

"Yes… Sleep well, Makoto-chan."

Her eyes widened slightly when he used her first name, but quickly regained her composure. "Goodnight, Akechi-kun."

He heard the door lock behind the girl and everything was quiet. The silence was so thick it was almost deafening. He remained seated on his bed, his eyes slowly scanning every single piece of furniture all around him: the window he used to close every night so that she wouldn't feel cold, the mirror she always used to make sure she was presentable before going out, the closet now looking so empty without her clothes and shoes and make-up and perfumes and accessories, the bed, neatly made, and still smelling like her…

Everything in that room reminded him of the days he'd spent with her, from the very first night –when he'd almost decided to kill her- to his epic battle against a tiny spider, to the events of a few hours before, when the way she had started looking at him changed completely. The sparkle in her eyes had disappeared, replaced by fear, raw and pure…

He lowered his head and clenched his fists, the sleeve of his shirt lifting slightly in the process and he realized he was still wearing it: the indigo and black bracelet he had bought from that man at the beach.

He brushed his fingers against the material, feeling somewhat smooth at his touch, studying the indigo and black colors that absorbed the light from the lamp. He didn't know whether the meaning of those colors was real or not. What he knew, though, was that he would save Akira's life and that of the others.

Even if that meant sacrificing his.

* * *

The others knew something wasn't quite right as soon as they saw Makoto waiting alone at the reception, a concerned expression on her young face.

"What happened, Makoto?" Ryuji asked worried. "Did Akechi do something to you?"

"Uh? N-no, not at all!" Makoto replied quickly, but Mishima gave her a hard look.

"Then why did you sleep in our room, tonight? I _did_ wake up when Kurusu-kun let you in, you know. And then leaving like that at the first light of dawn… Something must have happened, right?"

"Really?!" Ann widened her eyes and looked at her. "You slept in their room tonight?"

"I… yes" she admitted, and then looked over at Akira, hoping he could help her somehow.

"I didn't want to wake you, Mishima-kun" Akira intervened, his voice kind and soft. "You see, Goro was feeling really bad tonight, and Makoto asked me if it was possible for her to sleep somewhere else. You know how contagious some things may be."

"Just like when Mishima drank tap water and was forced to stay behind in his room for the rest of the night?" Ryuji half-laughed. "Did Akechi-kun make the same stupid mistake?"

"Hey!" Mishima exclaimed offended. "It was not _stupid_!"

"Oh yes, it was!"

"I didn't know, OK?!"

"Good morning" Akechi walked up to the counter and returned his keycard to the receptionist, before joining the others.

"How are you feeling now, Goro?" Akira asked him, and Akechi could swear the boy had winked at him. He instantly understood what was going on and put on a pained face.

"Much better now. But I do believe there was something wrong with that steak…"

"Now that you mention it…" Yusuke frowned and rubbed his chin "…I did have some troubles falling asleep tonight."

"No, that's because you gulped down three fifth of the meat we bought" Ryuji pouted at him, and Yusuke gave him a look of pure hatred.

As the others discussed about the quantity of meat Yusuke had managed to swallow, Akechi turned to study Makoto's face. She was slightly pale and still looked concerned, but she was trying her best not to show it.

"Are you alright?" he whispered to her.

"Mhm" she hummed, avoiding eye-contact.

"What are you doing tonight?" he tried again.

"Sleeping in a proper bed" she replied courtly. Pause. Then she added. "…you?"

"I'm meeting Shido."

Those few words were enough for her to lift her chin and glance at him. "What? Why?"

"I thought you'd read the message yesterday…"

"But what… what if it's a trap?"

"It most likely is."

"Goro Akechi, are you bloody out of your mind?!"

"You should know by now" he said, unable to contain a smirk after sensing her worry. Maybe there was still hope after all… "And yet, this is a necessary step. I did promise you I would save you all, be it the last thing I do…"

She had no response to that. She simply stared at him, a determination she had never seen in him before mirrored in his eyes.

* * *

"Welcome back!"

Shido greeted him with open arms as soon as a tired-looking Akechi stepped inside his office. "Did you have fun on your holidays?"

Akechi remained silent, eying the man in front of him with disgust.

"What? Cat got your tongue?" Shido laughed loudly and then gestured for him to take a seat. Akechi remained standing.

"Aw, I guess coming back to boring Japan is not as fun as leaving on vacation with your best friends, am I right? But don't worry, you only need to get back to your daily routines."

Akechi sighed impatient and resolved to look at a painting hung on the wall on his right.

"Speaking of routines…" Shido continued, putting his hands in a praying-like position "…how's your quest to discovering the identities of the Phantom Thieves and befriending them going?"

Akechi shrugged and replied lazily. "Still no clues, I am afraid."

"Is that so?" Shido said in a soft and yet dangerous voice.

"I am doing my best, but they can literally be anyone…"

"Silence!"

Akechi frowned at Shido raising his voice at him, but decided to remain quiet.

"Now, let's see…" Shido opened a drawer and scattered some pictures on the desk in front of him. Akechi's eyes widened with fear when he saw the subjects of said pictures.

"Yusuke Kitagawa, 16 years old…" Shido took the first picture portraying the blue-haired boy in the act of kicking a ball on a pearly white beach.

"Ann Takamaki and Ryuji Sakamoto, both 16 years old" Shido continued, putting down the picture with Yusuke and taking another one, this time of Ann and Ryuji who seemed to be in the middle of a fight.

"…now the most interesting ones. Makoto Niijima, 17 years old" he took a picture of a dark-haired girl with red eyes in a swimsuit while sitting under a palm tree with…

"…and you. My boy, you've got good tastes in women I must say. Aaand…"

Shido took one last picture, and Akechi knew perfectly well who it would portray…

"Akira Kurusu, 16 years old. You two seem to be very close."

"What do you want?" Akechi inquired, knowing fully well he had been cornered. It would even be useless to play dumb and tell him square in the face he didn't have evidence, because he knew Shido: he always had evidence.

Shido examined him for a few seconds, as if he had never really seen his face before, and then spoke. "My dear boy, I am sure I have been quite clear with you. If I am not mistaken, I did warn you to be careful unless you wished for me to spy on you. And, well… let's just say, this is the consequence of you not listening to my gentle warning…"

"I said…" Akechi's tone sounded much more impatient and threatening now. "What do you want?"

Shido chuckled and stood up from his leather chair, turning to face the large window that overlooked Tokyo. "Let's just forget about this little incident, shall we? After all, I have complete trust in you. I want to believe you have accepted to go on holiday with the Phantom Thieves to befriend them and get to know them better, before taking them down, correct?"

Akechi swallowed hard but chose to keep quiet once again.

"Because, if those were not your true intentions…" Shido's torso partly turned so that he could glance at the boy out of the corner of his eye "…I'd be forced to personally take action."

At Akechi's quizzical look, Shido continued. "I have their names, all of them. One more false move and they're all dead. Oh, and don't even try to kill my Shadow. If something should happen to me, my men have already gotten the order to proceed to eliminate your precious friends. Am I clear?"

Akechi couldn't bring himself to say anything. All he wanted in that moment was tear every single part of the hateful man's body apart, make him suffer, make him beg for mercy…

"AM I CLEAR?"

"…Crystal."

"Very well" Shido proceeded more calmly and actually smiled. "Your next target."

He grabbed an envelope and threw it at him, Akechi catching it mid-air. When he read the content, he frowned.

 _"_ _Kunikazu Okumura."_

"Oh, one last thing" Shido continued. "You will want to keep quiet about this with your dear _friends_. After all, you never know who might be listening…"

When Akechi left his office a few minutes later, he felt possibly more discouraged and hopeless than before. He had been cornered and was running out of ideas.

* * *

He had had enough. Enough of losing sleep because of the millions thoughts that haunted him. Enough of pretending. Enough of _killing_. He didn't want to do this anymore, and wished he never awoke to his powers.

Why was life being so unjust to him? His sole fault was being born in the first place…

He had always been a cursed child, unloved by whomever surrounded him no matter how hard he tried. Until they came and changed it all. The Phantom Thieves.

But things had gotten out of hand now, what with Shido discovering how he was becoming closer to them and not just for show. He _knew_ he was changing…

His plan to save them was completely ruined thanks to the fact that Shido probably had someone spying on him, which meant the chances of letting them know what the bastard was planning were below zero.

He needed to think this thoroughly. One mistake could prove fatal for him, but especially for his friends.

 _Buzz. Buzz._

A new message. Akechi was actually scared to check his phone, in case Shido had sent him another text… He was therefore pleasantly surprised when he saw Makoto's name on the screen.

 _"_ _Can you talk?"_

A small smile suddenly appeared on his face as he read her message. Even if he was staring at a phone, he could still sense her worry.

 _"_ _Yes."_

 _"_ _Good. Mhm… I don't even know why I am texting you in the first place, but… Can't sleep thinking that you are with Shido…"_

 _"_ _I am not. I am back home now."_

 _"_ _How did it go?!"_

At this point, Akechi couldn't risk telling the truth: he was pretty sure Shido could filter his messages and phone calls, so he had no other choice but lie to her.

 _"_ _It went well. He doesn't suspect a thing."_

 _"_ _Good :)_ _"_

 _"_ _You should sleep, Niijima-chan. You've got school tomorrow."_

 _"_ _So do you. By the way, you can call me Makoto…"_

Akechi had to re-read the message a couple of times just to make sure he had understood it correctly.

 _"_ _*Errata corrige* You should sleep, Makoto. You've got school tomorrow ;)"_

 _"_ _Wow, of course you can speak Latin!"_

 _"_ _Well, saying I can speak it would be an overstatement…"_

 _"_ _You know? It's the first time I see you say something humble about yourself…"_

 _"_ _Ouch!"_

 _"…_ _what are you doing after school tomorrow?"_

Akechi was just about to type a goodnight message but quickly deleted it when Makoto sent him a new one. Was she meaning to ask if he wanted to meet up? And if so, what should he do? If he wanted to follow his feelings, he would type a yes straight away. But at the same time, he wasn't sure he should strengthen their bond more considering what he was being forced to do…

 _"_ _I do not have any plans. What about you?"_

 _"_ _No plans. Unless Akira decides to organize an emergency meeting with everyone. I heard him and Ryuji talking about president Okumura, and I am afraid he could be a potential target…"_

 _"_ _I think it is not safe to continue this conversation via text, Makoto. How about we meet up after school tomorrow for a coffee?"_

 _"_ _Oh… sure! See you tomorrow then!"_

 _"_ _Goodnight"_

There. He had done it again. Lost control of his actions to follow what his heart wanted. All he needed to do now was be extremely careful.

* * *

The first day of school after spending a few days in paradise was always the worst: he had a lot of homework to catch up on, tons of college applications to send and listen to his fangirls over and over again.

"You got a tan, Akechi-kun!"

"You look even more handsome now, Akechi-kun!"

"Wish we could have a school trip together again, Akechi-kun!"

Akechi-kun. Akechi-kun. Akechi-kun. He had heard his name so many times that day it started losing its meaning to him. Ever since spending time with some real friends, he got tired of the others. His schoolmates that followed him wherever he went just because of his looks and popularity, not because of his actual qualities. Akira and the others, however, seemed to accept him for who he really was. Well, at least Akira and Makoto. The others didn't yet know about his other self. And none of them knew that he was going to break his promise…

When he finally got rid of the adoring girls, he hopped onto the first train and went straight to Aoyama-Itchome. Since he finished school before Makoto, he thought he could be a gentleman and wait for her outside the school gates. Besides, he was hoping to see Akira…

"…is that Akechi-kun?"

"Yeah, it's him! What's he doing here?"

"Ah, leave him be. He is nothing compared to the Phantom Thieves!"

Akechi ignored the boys' comments and leaned against a wall, crossing his arms over his chest. Some girls passed by him and, upon recognizing him, widened their eyes and giggled dumbly. A couple of them, dressed in Shujin uniforms, approached him and greeted him in what he guessed was supposed to be a seductive voice.

"Akechi-kun, what a surprise! Are you here to investigate?"

"No, I-"

"I bet you are, Akechi-kun! If you want, you can _search_ me. I've been a bad girl!"

His jaws dropped: did some girls have no shame at all?

"…is everything alright, Goro?"

Never before had Akechi been happier to see his friend approaching, giving him a large smile and a knowing look.

"Oh! Akechi-kun, do you know Kurusu-kun?!"

"As a matter of fact, I do" Akechi replied, smiling back at the dark-haired boy. "He is my best friend."

Something like pride sparkled in Akira's eyes for a moment as his lips curled into a large smile, as the girls flinched in horror.

"WHAT?!"

"Let's go, Matsui-chan. He might be handsome, but as a detective he's worthless." The girls stomped away, leaving the two boys alone.

"That was quite harsh" Akira commented amused, and Akechi chuckled. "I am too polite to say what I'm thinking out loud."

"Heh, it would be fun to hear you swear for once."

"By all means!" Akechi pretended to be shocked, and they both laughed.

"By the way" Akira turned serious as he prepared to ask him a question. "You said your biological father is a politician called Masayoshi Shido, right?"

Akechi's expression hardened when he heard the name, but nodded nonetheless.

"Uhm, why have I got a feeling I've heard of him before…?"

"Akira, Akechi-kun! You're both here!"

Makoto came running towards them as she held her schoolbag tightly against her chest. It looked heavy…

"Heya" Akira waved at his senior as she joined the group.

"Akira, are you joining us?" Makoto asked him with a broad smile.

"Oh, was this planned?" Akira said surprised. "In that case, I think I'll pass."

Akira then proceeded to give the brown-haired boy a knowing look and a smirk that had a much deeper meaning, and Akechi's cheeks turned a deep shade of pink.

They all took the train together to Shibuya, with Makoto and Akechi saying goodbye to Akira, who was continuing on to Yongen-Jaya, and they proceeded outside until they found themselves on Central Street.

Makoto was still clutching onto her bag, the straps digging deeper into the clothes around her shoulders.

"Give me that" he said gently as he gestured for her to pass him her bag. She glanced at him for a moment before nodding with a smile and complying. "Thank you…"

He threw her bag over his shoulder as he carried his own suitcase, and actually had to grit his teeth for how heavy it was.

When they walked past the alleyway he had once dragged her in, Makoto's face darkened a bit but the girl kept marching on without complaining. Akechi would never understand how she still trusted him after all the things he had put her through, after learning the truth about him… Maybe that bracelet vendor back in Hawaii had been right about her…

"Here we are" he announced when they finally reached the bar he used to order coffee whenever he couldn't stop by LeBlanc. It was not as cozy as Akira's temporary home, but enough for him to sip a cup without being assailed with questions from his fans.

"It's nice here" she said as she looked around and chose a seat at one of the many tables available. With most people being at work and no students ever visiting the place, the bar was absolutely empty with the exception of the two of them.

"Akechi-kun! Long time no see!" the barista exclaimed when he spotted him.

"Yes, I have been away for a while" Akechi replied and approached the counter to collect a menu.

"Oh, on holiday with your girlfriend?" he asked, lowering his voice as he nodded at Makoto's back.

"On holiday. With no girlfriend" he specified, and the man snickered.

"So she's just a temporary one? After all, I expect someone like you to get a new one every week or so" he winked at him, trying to sound smart.

"Not at all" Akechi replied coolly. "I'm not that kind of person."

"Nah, of course not" the barista smirked. "Anyway, she's very cute. Nice choice indeed!"

"Can we get two ice coffees, please?" he decided to cut him off by ordering something, so that the barista could be busy at doing something else than talking to him.

He returned to Makoto and sat across of her and observed as the girl rummaged in her bag, stopping when she felt his gaze on her.

"Oh, you're back!" she said, sitting straight in her chair.

"I'm back…"

"So" she continued, intertwining the fingers of her hands "How was your first day of school after the holidays?"

"The usual" he shrugged. "Too much homework and too many girls who want me to themselves."

When she shot him a look, he clarified. "Just kidding… Kinda…"

"Anyway" she changed topic entirely without even waiting for him to ask her how her day had been "About Okumura…"

"Well, I don't know much about him either" Akechi explained. "I just know what the newspapers and TV say: that he is mistreating his employees with exhausting working hours and low wages, as well as exploiting his connections to win the elections this year."

"But can we really trust what the journalists say? Most of them are controlled by Shido, after all…"

"Indeed. However, I have already been in Okumura's Palace, and ascertained that they are telling the truth: the way he sees his employees is despicable. So he is guilty, I am afraid."

"Here we go, guys! Two refreshing ice coffees! Enjoy it!" The barista came with a tray with two tall glasses for each of them.

"So you've been there already" Makoto continued as soon as the barista had left. "Could you give me the coordinates?"

"I could, but wouldn't that ruin the fun?" he leaned back in his chair and smirked.

"I guess. But hey, I was actually wondering something…" Makoto looked suddenly unsure, but Akechi knew exactly what she wanted to ask him.

"I am afraid I can't" he said with a regretful smile. "At least, not yet. We need to deceive Shido and make him believe I am still following his orders and that I do not know your true identities yet. Of course, I could take the risk and join you guys, but I am afraid he may find out. Just like he found out I was in Hawaii with you. Besides, I am not sure I am ready for everyone to see my Persona…"

"I see…" Makoto said sadly, but then nodded more enthusiastically. "We can take care of Okumura ourselves then. You make sure to keep Shido away from us! After all, he is about to receive the biggest shock of his life when he learns you have spared the president's life! And with Okumura having a change of heart and running as Prime Minister, Shido will have nowhere else to hide. At that point, you will be able to join us, right?"

"…right" Akechi nodded, but deep down he was screaming for her to look out. That his plan to save Okumura and go tell Shido he was not going to follow anymore of his dirty orders once infiltrated his own Palace, had gone straight out the window. And he couldn't even tell her just in case someone was hiding somewhere, listening to every word he said…

"I must admit, your plan is quite genius, Akechi-kun. Pretending to be following Shido's orders until the last second, then saving Okumura only to infiltrate Shido's Palace and triggering a change of heart in him is mind-blowing!" Makoto praised him, as he was forced to smile at her unable to tell her what was really going on.

"Well, we've only got one shot at this" he nodded. "We'd better be prepared."

"I agree" she said. "And you'd better not change your mind at the last second!"

Well, wasn't that just great?

* * *

"Can I ask you a question?" he said out of the blue as they walked side by side through a park, enjoying one of the last warm days of the season.

"Sure."

"Why are you giving me a chance? After all the things I've done, that is…"

Makoto glanced at him for a long while before answering. "I am not even sure myself. When I heard the story of your childhood, my heart broke… It is such a horrible thing to experience as a child, and then your father manipulating you even now. Of course, I cannot overlook the fact that you have caused the death of other people with your power to turn them psychotic. Honestly, I don't even want to know how you do it… however, it is sad how lonely you've been up to recently. We were lucky, what with Morgana showing us how to make people confess without harming them. Had it not been for him, we wouldn't be that much different from you, I guess…"

Akechi listened to her with great interest and then shook his head with a bitter smile. "That still doesn't satisfy me, I am afraid…"

"What can I say?" she smiled back. "I may have a weakness for hopeless people. After all, the Phantom Thieves swore to fight for people like you, Akechi-kun. And I believe that even the worst of the worst shouldn't be left to rot alone because of what they did in the past. You are proving more than willing to repair the damage you did. And we must not forget that Shido put you up to this in the first place. _He_ is the real culprit, here."

Akechi's eyes softened jut as his heart broke a little more: what was he going to do? That girl, Akira and the others were giving him a second chance to prove himself. How could he betray them once more? But at the same time, if he disobeyed Shido's orders, they would all die…

"You know Makoto-chan" he told her gently. "You are quite special. I am almost tempted to say I envy the man who will conquer your heart." And, chuckling at her shocked expression, he added. "Come, I will escort you to the subway."

* * *

School was making it more and more difficult for him to meet up with Makoto and the others. The teachers seemed to be going berserk as winter break approached, with students complaining how it was still over two months left before Christmas and how unnecessary it was to load them with an enormous amount of homework.

At least he was being requested less and less often on TV shows to discuss the recent popularity of the Phantom Thieves. Because he seriously didn't have time for that.

Shido had kept uncommonly quiet and the boy hadn't heard from him since their last meeting at his office. However, Akechi was pretty sure he was still being spied on and had grown the terrible habit of keeping looking behind himself wherever he went. He could barely even trust his fellow students and teachers, for they could be receiving a compensation from Shido himself just to report any suspicious movement.

On top of it all, he was still unsure whether he was supposed to follow his heart and spare Okumura, risking however the death of his friends, or follow Shido's orders and accepting the consequences of it.

His brain was being put to serious test lately and even his performance at school was being affected by his stress and paranoia, causing quite the shock in his teachers and classmates.

When he failed to answer a relatively easy question about the English poem Beowulf the teacher asked him during class, he realized he was required to take a decision before worry and doubt consumed him entirely.

When he returned home that afternoon after school and turned on the TV, he knew he didn't have much time left to make his choice. Okumura's headquarters had been seriously damaged by acts of vandalism during the night, however surveillance cameras didn't show any intruders with the sole exception of a black cat.

That was enough for him to understand the Phantom Thieves had finally targeted Okumura, as well as infiltrated his Palace. Now it was a matter of few days before he was required to make his own move…

He jerked slightly when his phone buzzed but he quickly relaxed when he saw it was Makoto.

 _"_ _Did you hear about the breach in Okumura's HQ?"_

 _"_ _Yes, good job at finding the coordinates!_ _"_

 _"…_ _It wasn't us."_

Now he was worried.

 _"_ _What?"_

 _"_ _Ryuji and Morgana had a fight, and Mona got really offended and left, muttering something about infiltrating Okumura's Palace by himself and getting all the glory. We suspect it was Morgana, and I am afraid he's in trouble…"_

 _"_ _I see… maybe you should check up on him, then."_

 _"_ _Yes. If the rumors about Okumura and what you told me about his Palace are true, I am afraid he is a tough enemy. We are trying to infiltrate tomorrow."_

 _"_ _Good luck and… be careful…"_

He wished with all his heart he could convey the real meaning of his message to her. His warning to be careful didn't only regard their well-being in the Palace, but also and especially what would happen after taking down Okumura.

Somehow after the brief conversation with Makoto, Akechi had taken his decision. It was such an obvious one it almost made him laugh. After all, deep down he had always known what was required of him.

* * *

 _"_ _How did it go?"_

Akechi tapped the "Send" button and put away his phone. In all his years as a diligent student, this was the first time he secretly texted during class, hiding his smartphone under the desk and expertly typing with one hand. It had been a whole day and night since he last heard from Makoto, and he thought it was now safe to ask her about their progress.

He didn't expect her to reply straight away, and she didn't. When his phone finally buzzed, it was almost lunchtime.

 _"_ _We're almost there. All we need is to find the last keyword. We're trying again after school"_

Interesting. Now he needed to continue with Shido's plan and follow the Phantom Thieves inside.

* * *

They were all gathered there, outside Okumura's HQ. He quietly observed them trying different keywords until the Nav confirmed a hit, as he watched the world around him melt away and shift into Okumura's distorted one. He hated that place: it gave him headache but he had a mission to accomplish. His school uniform was gone, and he was now wearing the all too familiar dark garbs. Now he needed to be extremely careful and focused.

This time he made sure not to get distracted, and silently moved in the dark, keeping a safe distance from the Phantom Thieves. In all honesty, it didn't take long until they all got stuck: apparently Okumura didn't trust anyone, and many doors leading to the Palace's ruler were sealed. He was almost on his way out of the room when he heard a familiar voice speak: it was the same boyish voice he heard the first time he had met Akira and the others in the real world. It was that monster cat.

Akechi turned to observe the scene unfolding right in front of his eyes: the cat was with a girl who, despite the mask she was wearing, looked quite familiar. He could sense she was a Persona-user, though her powers were extremely weak. Both Morgana and the mysterious girl seemed to be arguing with the Phantom Thieves in a rather pathetic way. Crouching in a dark corner and relying on the mimetic qualities of his outfit, he kept listening. The Phantom Thieves were trying to make up with Morgana, but the cat seemed to be particularly stubborn. From where he was standing, he couldn't quite catch everything they were saying, but he did watch with great interest as the mysterious girl approached the door in the room and how it opened after scanning her.

If he had understood correctly, the door only opened to whomever carried the Okumura name. Did that mean that the mysterious girl was Okumura's daughter? After all, he _did_ hear Shido mention a certain Haru Okumura once…

As soon as the door opened, a large group of Shadows attacked the Phantom Thieves, who quickly beat a retreat. Well, there was no point for him to stay there any longer if the others had left, and so he went for the exit too and escaped the Palace.

* * *

In order for Shido's plan to work, Akechi needed to be perfectly synchronized with the Phantom Thieves' movements. Every time they entered the Palace, he needed to follow them right after, going after them without being spotted either by the group of friends or Okumura's Shadows. To make sure he could time it correctly, he used to send Makoto a message to ask how they were proceeding. The girl would then inadvertently inform him about their progress and when they would be entering the Palace next. Interestingly enough, Makoto had reliably informed him that they had met a mysterious girl in Okumura's Palace who turned out to be the man's daughter. Just like he had predicted. The girl was apparently trying to change her father's heart, because he wanted to use her for a marriage of interest, so that his rise to power could be much easier. Furthermore, Haru Okumura couldn't stand the fact her father was treating innocent people like slaves, and had asked for the Phantom Thieves' help and joined their cause.

Well, just his luck. Now he had another problem.

The girl's Persona was extraordinary weak, but Akechi knew it was a matter of time before she would awake to her full potential. She just needed a little push.

And when it happened, he wasn't disappointed: the girl _did_ have potential, and her fully awaken Persona was quite extraordinary.

Akira and the others grew immediately fond of the new party member, because she seemed to be a kind-hearted and patient person who gave her all to help others, and could be sympathetic even towards people who didn't deserve it. And when the girl joined the Phantom Thieves officially, Akechi observed that Morgana was now acting as normal around the others, so he guessed they had somehow made up. However, he _did_ wonder what had happened in between the Phantom Thieves splitting up and meeting Morgana with the new girl, and them reunited and ready to punish Okumura. A few days had passed without them infiltrating the Palace, but he guessed they had simply been getting to know Haru better and convincing the cat to rejoin them.

Akechi kept following them without the others ever noticing, be it Phantom Thieves or Shadows, and he observed as the bond between them all grew stronger. He felt a pinch of jealousy every time he saw how easy it was for Haru to be accepted in the team, how much the others – _his_ friends- seemed to like her…

But after all, hadn't he promised he'd sacrifice anything to save them? Not only his life, but his happiness too. He had to concentrate and pretend he couldn't feel a thing. No emotions.

However, his heart did start beating faster when, as he observed the Phantom Thieves one afternoon as he had been doing for the past days in Okumura's Palace, he heard Morgana say that he could sense they were very close to the Treasure. All of them had discovered so many terrible things inside Okumura's heart that they were more determined than ever to trigger a change of heart, so they pushed onward despite feeling tired until they reached a spacious room with the same, floating substance Akechi had seen many times before in other Palaces, but never understood what it meant. According to what the others were saying, it was the Treasure itself, which would only materialize once a calling card had been sent. So that's how they did it…

Once finally back to the real world and hiding behind a giant billboard nearby, Akechi heard Haru say she would try and leave a calling card in her father's office. He was not sure whether the girl would have enough guts to do it during the night or if she would require some time to summon up the courage. But despite her shy personality, Okumura's daughter did seem determined and he was pretty sure his friendship with Akira and the others was pretty doomed. After all, it had been dead on arrival from the very beginning, and he should be grateful for having had the opportunity to be part of that group, even for a short while…

Ignoring the ache in his chest at the very thought, he reminded himself once again of the promise he'd made, that this was necessary to save them all…

He was so deep in thought he didn't even notice the Phantom Thieves had already left and returned to their respective homes.

Since this was going to be his last chance, he might as well take advantage of it.

* * *

When Akechi arrived at LeBlanc one hour before closing, there was only an old Japanese couple sipping Boss' coffee and watching TV, which was currently broadcasting Shido's latest comments about the Phantom Thieves and the political situation in the country. The couple seemed to believe every word the man on TV was saying, and Akechi couldn't help but shake his head: children could see right through bastards like Shido, and yet elder adults –who were supposed to have much more experience and wisdom- were enthralled by them.

"Hi there, how may I he- oh, it's you."

Akechi glanced at the red-haired girl behind the counter, wearing an apron and staring back at him with suspicion. Well, he couldn't blame her: he _had_ killed her mother after all, even if he doubted Akira or Makoto had told her. But the girl seemed to be wary of him anyway.

"Hello. You must be Futaba, Akira told me about you. Nice to meet you" he said politely, but the girl pouted. "AKIRA! COME DOWNSTAIRS. MR. DETECTIVE WANTS TO TALK TO YOU!"

Her shouting startled the old couple, who muttered something about the new generations knowing nothing about respect and politeness.

It didn't take long for Akira to run downstairs, stopping halfway and gesturing for him to follow him to the attic. With one last nod to Futaba –who promptly ignored him- the boy went upstairs and stepped into the all the familiar room. He almost jumped when he was met with a pair of deep blue eyes as Morgana the cat sat on top of the handrail, eying him just as suspiciously as Futaba. Well, now he needed to be careful…

"Hi Goro!" Akira greeted and went to clear the table he was using to create some sort of tools. At Akechi's quizzical look, the other boy smiled and replied "I was just practicing my proficiency skills, nothing to worry about!"

The dark-haired boy then glanced for a second at Morgana, then back at him and winked. Akechi understood he couldn't reveal him the truth, for Morgana didn't know Akira had told him everything back in Hawaii.

"So, what do I owe the pleasure of having you here, today?" Akira asked as he sat on his bed.

"What? Do friends need a reason to come visit?" Akechi mocked and took the liberty to sit on the sofa where he had once slept.

"Not at all!" Akira laughed, then proceeded to grab a bag of candies he had in a drawer and threw it at him. Akechi caught it mid-air and opened it. "You spoil me."

"Sorry man, you look skinny. Eat up."

"I am _not_ skinny!" Akechi whined and then glanced at his own body. "I am fit."

"Same same" Akira rolled his eyes amused. "Gotta gain some muscles, Goro."

"I've got plenty" Akechi replied and gulped down a handful of gummy teddy-bears. When Akira lifted a brow at him, Akechi continued. "Wanna challenge me to arm wrestling? Can beat you in a matter of seconds!"

"Haha! It'd be fun to try!"

"Bah! I'll go for a walk."

A boyish voice spoke next, and both Akira and Akechi turned to look at Morgana leave the room.

"It's gonna be tough to make Mona change his mind about you" Akira said after making sure the cat had left.

Akechi didn't reply. He knew it was going to be tough –if not impossible- to make _all_ of them change their minds about him after what he was about to do.

* * *

He learned he sort of got along with Ann, Yusuke and Ryuji too back when he was in Hawaii but he knew he didn't have time to talk to all of them. After all, their bond was not as strong and he would look stupid showing up at their door out of the blue. However, there was one more person he wished to see for the last time as his friend.

He buzzed at the intercom reading the names _"Niijima S., Niijima M."_ and waited until Makoto's familiar voice answered. "Niijima Makoto."

"Makoto-chan, it's me."

"Akechi-kun!" There was a short pause, then he heard her again. "Wanna come up?"

"…sure."

"Third floor. First door to the right."

The door buzzed open and he pushed it to enter the building and climbed the stairs all the way to the third floor. He guessed he could have used the elevator, but really didn't want to rush this.

The door Makoto had mentioned was slightly ajar, and he opened it with one hand as he uncertainly stepped inside. "May I come in?"

He didn't want to fully enter the apartment without being properly invited, and so he waited in the dimly-lit corridor, studying the paintings and pictures hung on the light grey walls, the shoes left by the entrance as well as different jackets. All the belongings seemed to be Sae-san's.

"Akechi-kun, please come in" Makoto finally appeared and brought him a pair of slippers he could use.

"Thank you" he smiled kindly as he accepted the slippers and took off his shoes. "Is your sister here?"

"What a question" she chuckled bitterly. "When is my sister ever at home?"

"I am sorry" he muttered but she waved a hand dismissively and went ahead to show him the rest of the apartment. Well, even though Sae-san was the only working adult in their small family, she must gain enough money to afford the relatively big apartment. The style was modern and yet cozy enough, with a predominance for black, white and grey colors. That is why he was pretty shocked when Makoto showed him her room, which was much more colorful and _lively_. What surprised him even more was seeing the collection of fluffy plush dolls she had on her bed as well as many of the shelves around the room, some even placed between rows of complicated-looking books. A large desk was facing the window, where she kept all her school stuff and a cute panda-shaped pencil case. The explosion of pink, turquoise and white in the room almost hurt his eyes, such was the contrast with the rest of the apartment.

"May I offer you anything to drink?"

Her question made him jerk slightly for he was deep in thought. "Oh, no thank you. I've just had tons of snacks and to drink at Akira's place."

"So uhm…" she shifted from one foot to another and clutched her hands behind her back. "Is there something you wanted to tell me? You could just send a text, you know…"

"I could" he nodded. "But I realized I had nothing to tell you."

"Oh?" she lifted an eyebrow and glanced at him. "So…?"

"I just wanted to see you" he said simply and shrugged his shoulders.

* * *

"I just wanted to see you."

His words took her by surprise, the simplicity with which he'd said it, and she felt her cheeks become warmer as a strange feeling spread through her body.

She realized she was staring at him with her mouth open and immediately knew she must be looking stupid judging by Akechi's amused expression.

"A-anyway" she forced herself to say something –anything- just to snap out of it. "Did I tell you we secured our route to the Treasure?"

"No, you didn't" Akechi replied, and went to sit on her bed, looking interested.

"Well, we did" she continued. "And Haru -you remember her right?- just sent a message saying her father received the calling card. She is extraordinarily brave going against her own father to save others' lives, not only hers…"

"True" Akechi nodded, but his expression suddenly turned more serious. "Well, that is good."

Makoto nodded. "Yes, and then you can join us, Akechi-kun! And we can change Shido's heart! We can clear your name…"

Akechi didn't answer, merely glanced sideways looking suddenly very sad.

"Is there… something wrong?" she asked worried and instinctively took a step forward.

"No" he shook his head gently and gave her one of those stunning smiles of his. "It's just… it's going to be a long journey."

"True" she smiled back "But we will make it together."

Akechi remained quiet for a few more seconds before standing up and staring at her, as if seeing her for the first time after a long while. Makoto blinked, unsure what he was doing or thinking, then the boy took a few steps towards her.

"Makoto-chan" he almost whispered, a mix of sadness and worry in his voice. "Will you promise me you will be careful? And look after Akira?"

Makoto was seriously starting to become concerned after listening to his words and gave him a quizzical look. "What does this all mean, Akechi-kun?"

"Nothing" he smiled reassuringly "But I just want to make sure you'll be alright. And the others too. Okumura is a tough guy, after all, and so is Shido."

"We will manage!" she beamed "And you make sure to stay in the shadows until we have dealt with Okumura and trick Shido. Your father is going to receive a big surprise once he finds out you spared Okumura-san's life and never carried out his plan!"

Akechi smiled, but she could tell it was not one of those genuine ones he only reserved to his friends and to her. Something was definitely going through his mind, but she couldn't tell what. After all, they did have a plan, one that Shido could never obstruct.

She was so concentrated on what Akechi may be thinking she didn't realize that the boy was standing right in front of her, and much closer than necessary in a normal conversation. Her heart skipped a beat when she noticed before starting hammering against her ribcage. She could feel the loud thumps right through her ears and in every blood vessel of her whole body. Was it because she was still scared of him after he had attacked her twice? But whatever she was feeling in that moment, it was definitely not fear or concern. So what was that?

"Makoto-chan" he spoke softly, looking straight in her red eyes. "You are one strange, brave young woman, you know that? I promise you I will repay you somehow."

He then lifted a hand to her face. The memory of the attacks came rushing through her mind and she flinched slightly. Akechi stopped mid-action, then tried again more slowly, studying her reaction. Makoto's heart was beating so fast now she was sure Akechi –as well as the rest of her neighborhood- could hear it. The brown-haired boy frowned and looked insecure and almost concerned for a moment, until his hand went to rest gently on her right cheek. He caressed her skin with his thumb for some minutes, his expression dead serious, before turning to leave without another word spoken and leaving her speechless and stunned in the middle of the room.

She would have given anything in that moment to be able to tell what the heck was going on in that mind of his.

And she would give even more to find out what was going on in hers.

* * *

 **Ah! Poor Makoto, slowly learning the sweet pains of love :)**

 **Some more drama and an old friend showing up again in next chapter. Did you like this one? Then let me know your thoughts and help support this story! A big thank you for reading and showing some love!**


	11. Turning The Tables

**THANK YOU ALL! That's all I have to say ^^ You guys always make my day and I am left with a huge smile on my face whenever I read your comments :D Hope you will enjoy this chapter ;)**

* * *

She was walking side by side with him, chatting merrily about school and college applications. It was a beautiful day, with the sun shining down on them and not a single cloud could be spotted in the blue sky above them. Shibuya was as crowded as ever, with people rushing to their offices and students waiting for their trains or buses. But they had a day off, although she couldn't remember why.

Akechi stopped suddenly and looked straight ahead, then around them. She was so busy studying his odd behavior she got quite the shock when she finally noticed people around them had suddenly vanished into thin air. Then a pair of strong arms grabbed hers painfully and dragged her into a dark alleyway, just as the sky turned a deep shade of grey and the clouds obscured the sun. Akechi slammed her against the wall behind her, making sure she had no escape route. His kind smile and the peaceful expression he had been wearing was replaced by a menacing one, his eyes flashing dangerously as a twisted smirk curled his lips.

She was so scared as everything happened to fast, and was sure her time had come when he lifted his left arm. She shut her eyes closed, waiting for him to strike. But that never happened. Instead, something warm was resting on her cheek. When she opened her eyes again, she realized it was his hand, massaging her gently as he studied her with a frown. What the hell was happening?

She was completely overwhelmed by his constant change of personality and, no matter how hard she was trying, her limbs would not respond to her commands. She simply stood frozen against the wall, waiting for his next move.

Her shock became even more evident when he leaned in, his face getting way too close as his lips parted. His face was literally a couple of inches away from hers…

"…Makoto, you're going to be late for school!"

Makoto opened her eyes, a shriek almost escaping her mouth as her heart pounded crazily against her chest. She was so confused it took her at least a minute to realize it had only been a dream and her sister was calling her name. She checked the time on her phone and muttered a curse as she shot up from her bed and hurried to get ready for school.

When she finally took the train to Shibuya and got off to catch her connection, she saw Ann was waiting at the same platform. Makoto smiled relieved and approached her friend. Maybe Ann could explain the meaning of her dream much better than her.

"Good morning" she greeted, and the blonde turned to give her a broad grin.

"Oh, hi!" Ann then observed her friend and frowned slightly. "Did you sleep at all tonight? You look tired…"

"I did" Makoto nodded as her smile faded. "But… I had this dream…"

"Oh, tell me everything about it! I'm like, an expert when it comes to interpretations of dreams and stuff" the other girl giggled excitedly.

Makoto then proceeded to explain in details what her dream had consisted of, carefully avoiding, however, to mention that the boy who had almost kissed her was Akechi…

"Oh Makoto" Ann smiled tenderly "Don't you get it?"

"Get what?" the dark-haired girl widened her eyes, relieved to hear Ann could explain her the meaning of her dream.

"You… I think you like someone" the blonde finally said, but Makoto stared back at her blankly.

"I like many people" she said confused. "In fact, I like all of you guys."

"Not in that way!" Ann shook her head and giggled. "When I say like I mean… _like_."

Makoto blinked a couple of times before realization hit her square in the face, her heart sinking in the depths of her stomach. "No…" she smiled nervously. "That's impossible…"

"Aww Makoto, of course it's not! It is a perfectly normal thing to be attracted to someone at your age! In fact, I do li- nevermind" Ann blushed and cut off the topic just as their train stopped by the platform.

Makoto followed her friend mechanically, her brain way too busy processing the whole conversation: if Ann was right, did that mean she was attracted to Akechi? But she couldn't possibly be! Yes, the boy had proven to be willing to repair the damage done in the past, and yes he had constantly been manipulated and turned into a hitman, but the fact that he was indeed a murderer remained.

However, she did have to admit that, whenever she thought of him or heard his name out of the blue or was with him, she felt strange: her heart would start beating faster and she'd blush for no apparent reason. Even in that exact moment as his face flashed through her mind, she felt something like butterflies in her stomach…

"Nah" she whispered determinedly. "It's surely just a stupid coincidence."

* * *

His most dreaded day had arrived. It was the first thought that crossed his mind as soon as his eyes opened. He sighed loudly as he rolled on his back and stared up at the plain white ceiling.

Today he would save Akira and the others only to lose them forever. He might as well cling onto the happy moments he had spent with them all, because that was all he had left: memories.

It was with heavy heart he went to school, pretending to be the smart and happy-go-lucky boy everyone knew, focusing on what the teachers were saying and trying his best to push away all other thoughts. When the last bell rang, his stomach made a painful flip to remind him it was time.

He left before anyone else and took the first train to Shibuya, where he would change to get to Okumura's HQ. There was nothing he could do to avoid the inevitable, so he might as well be done with it as quickly as possible.

When he arrived at the square with the tall, glass building he went to hide in a corner and tossed his backpack onto the floor. He sat down beside it, resting his arms on his knees and waiting for Akira and the others to arrive. His mind was strangely empty just like everything else in his life.

They arrived shortly after, looking all very excited. Akechi had to refrain himself from sighing loudly as he watched them enter the Metaverse after making sure no one was looking. No one but him. When they disappeared he glanced at his wristwatch and waited. He'd give them twenty minutes of advantage, then he'd follow their tracks and wait until they defeated Okumura. He knew he had to act quickly before the Palace collapsed. He had one shot at this.

How was it that, whenever he hated to do something and desperately wanted time to stop, this seemed to accelerate somehow? In a blink of an eye it was his turn to infiltrate Okumura's Palace.

Well, the Phantom Thieves had definitely grown much stronger since the first time he saw them: they made sure to leave no Shadows behind as they proceeded toward the core of the Palace. Akechi, dressed entirely in his dark garbs, made his way to the upper floors undisturbed. He didn't even bother to look around: nothing interested him anymore. Without Akira, Makoto and the others, his life was meaningless. Not even the taste of revenge would satisfy him anymore: all he wanted was to end that nightmare and live a normal life with his friends.

But he was Goro Akechi, the cursed kid, and he would _never_ have a normal life. Or friends.

However, something did get his attention: a robotic female voice announcing the entire place's self-destruction, and encouraging all employees to run to safe areas. Apparently, Okumura was doing all he could to make sure the Phantom Thieves wouldn't put their hands on his Treasure. Well, he didn't have a choice: he needed to speed up. He ran as fast as he could towards the large room where Okumura's Treasure had been, and followed the only way available and leading upstairs. When he reached the top and opened the door, he did a double take and quickly hid behind a corner: right in front of him were the Phantom Thieves of Hearts themselves, luckily very busy fighting a group of Shadows.

"Dammit" he muttered as he watched the others dodge and attack. According to his watch, they only had seven minutes left before the whole place blew up. Furthermore, the Phantom Thieves were strong but still not as much as him to get rid of those enemies in a matter of seconds. If they didn't hurry, they'd all die.

Akechi looked around to find an alternative route to the opposite side without being spotted, and finally found a vent -large enough for someone as slim as him to crawl through- a few feet away from the battle. He approached carefully, hoping with all his heart no one would see him…

He managed to sneak through and finally emerged to the other side. They weren't too far now, but a group of Shadows was still patrolling the path.

"Loki"

His Persona appeared right behind him and waited for his command. "Incinerate those nuisances."

It took Loki one swift move to wipe them all out, clearing the way to Okumura. Now there was nothing more he could do until the Phantom Thieves defeated the ruler.

"That was the last one of them, come on everyone!" he heard Ryuji shout to the others and shortly after saw the whole group running towards the platform leading to a safe area of the facility, where Okumura was hiding.

He waited for the platform to come back, his heart pounding against his chest as the clock ticked time away. Thirty seconds until the explosion. Twenty-nine. Twenty-eight- Twenty-seven… The platform was approaching… Twenty-six… it finally arrived and Akechi quickly stepped onto it and pulled the lever. Twenty… Nineteen… it was finally moving… Eighteen… Halfway there… Ten… nine… eight… almost there… five… four… three… Akechi jumped off the platform before it had fully arrived to its destination… two… one… The explosion that followed was so intense that the shockwaves actually sent him flying several feet forward, the boy landing painfully to the floor and rolling over multiple times until the world stopped spinning. He was going to feel it tomorrow…

He heaved himself up with a grunt before making sure he was not badly hurt. He could hear the sounds of a struggle somewhere ahead, and he approached the new area carefully, hiding as much as possible in the dark as usual.

There they all were: the eight friends wearing their rebel masks fighting against Okumura. Or better, against his puppets, for the man seemed to be too much of a coward to be standing in the first line. Akechi could almost feel their pain as they occasionally got injured during the fight, and he was relieved to see Morgana, Akira, Ann and Makoto all possessed a Persona with healing skills.

He kept watching enthralled as the eight Thieves fought against the many waves of enemies Okumura threw their way, and how they managed to defeat them all despite outnumbered and tired. He was particularly focused on Akira and Makoto: the former was now confident of his skills and could easily call forth different Personas and command them as he dodged the enemies' attacks, while the latter would strategically spot the opponent's weak spots and exploit them to her advantage, as well as keeping an eye on her comrades in case they needed her help. Even if they were weaker than him, their team was extremely functional, and he could sense their strong bond of friendship as Futaba provided support from above them, and the others fought harmonically together. Oh, how he wished he could help with his Personas, but he knew he had a duty. His strong desire to become a member of the Phantom Thieves would never come true...

When the last one of Okumura's lackeys had been defeated, the ruler was left speechless and frozen with fear in his chair, slamming the button to summon more of his "employees", but no one ever came to the rescue.

His daughter, Haru, gave Akira a determined look and nodded, as if giving him allowance to strike her own father. Joker summoned the weakest Persona he'd had - probably as a way to feel less guilty for hurting her friend's parent- and ordered it to attack. A few seconds later and Okumura was left kneeling on the floor asking for mercy.

He wasn't really sure what Haru and the others were telling him, because the Palace had already started to crumble and the noise was almost deafening. When they finally left, Akechi knew there was no time to think it through: it was now or never, so he stepped out of the shadows and quietly approached Okumura, still crouched on the floor sobbing. The boy extracted his gun and aimed it at Okumura's back, then his head. His hand was shaking violently, and not because of the Palace collapsing all around him. He simply knew what the consequences of what he was about to do would be…

He thought of Ann, Ryuji and Yusuke back when they were in Hawaii and how they had seemed to sort of accept him as a new friend; he thought of how he could have gotten to know Morgana, Futaba and Haru better in different circumstances; he thought of Akira, giving him a chance no matter what he had said about the Phantom Thieves and even after discovering who he really was; and then he thought of Makoto, the strong-willed and yet sweet girl he had hurt so many times before and who would still let herself forgive him. The same girl who would spend time alone with him –Japan's most wanted criminal- and yet who couldn't stand to be in the same room with a spider…

"Only for you" he whispered, keeping the image of a smiling Makoto clear in his mind.

He pulled the trigger.

* * *

Eight teenagers were celebrating around a large table loaded with all sorts of food and beverages, laughing and chatting merrily as they enjoyed the beautiful night view of Destinyland, the most popular amusement park in Japan. One of the advantages of being close friends with Haru Okumura was the fact that the girl could easily rent the entire park for as long as they wished and completely free of charge.

Makoto congratulated once more Haru for becoming the newest member of the Phantom Thieves and, making sure the others were distracted, took out her phone and checked the message inbox once again. Still nothing.

She frowned as she wondered why Akechi had been ignoring all her texts and suddenly stopped replying. She was getting slightly worried, what with him suddenly showing up at her place the night before changing Okumura's heart and acting all weird around her.

 _"_ _We did it! Haru just told us her father has requested a panel on TV tonight at 8. Make sure to tune in!"_

When he hadn't replied to that straight away, she'd thought he was probably busy with school and that he'd reply later. But he never did, so she sent a few more messages.

 _"_ _Akechi-kun, is everything OK?"_

 _"_ _Hey, Earth calling Akechi!"_

After waiting for hours for an answer that never came, she started to believe Akechi was in trouble. That maybe Shido had found out about his betrayal.

 _"_ _I really don't want to sound like a pestering person, but could you just tell me if you are OK? I am getting slightly worried to be honest…"_

She had sent that last message a few minutes before, right before the desserts came. Apparently, he hadn't yet answered, which was suspicious knowing that he normally answered within few minutes. Her mind could no longer focus on the happy event she was currently living, because all she thought about was Akechi being stuck somewhere with a dangerous man like Shido. The possible scenarios were so many and all so horrible, she shivered at the very thought.

"Excuse me for a second, everyone. I uhm… need the restroom" she announced as she stood up and went inside.

"Hurry up, though! Haru's father's panel is beginning in a few minutes!" Ryuji shouted after her, and she gave him a thumb up.

Once alone inside, Makoto scrolled through the list of all contacts on her phone until she found his: Akechi Goro. She bit her lip and then tapped the Call button, her heart beating slightly faster.

The phone was ringing, but no one picked up. When the automatic message saying the person might be unavailable played next, she tapped the End Call button and sighed. "What the hell, Akechi…?"

"Makoto, it's starting!"

She looked outside the tall window, where her friends were still gathered around the table, looking excited as Ryuji placed his phone in the center for everyone to see.

She decided it would be pointless to keep pressing Akechi if he was not answering, and she had no way to find out where he currently was at. She therefore returned outside and joined the others just as Okumura made his entrance, looking pale and saddened.

He started his speech, a silence full of expectation falling on the eight friends as they watched, with Okumura sobbing so loudly it was almost impossible to discern what he was saying. However, he did confess his crimes but there was something else he was about to say…

"He's going to say it!" Ryuji gasped. "The name of the murderer!"

Makoto felt the blood in her veins freeze as Okumura, seconds away from revealing the name of the true culprit, brought a hand to his head and gently closed his eyes, as if being plagued by a light headache. The people around him approached the president and whispered if he was feeling alright. The journalists muttered all around the room…

When he opened his eyes, everyone screamed and jumped backwards: the color had completely faded from his eyes, leaving them plain white as a trail of viscous black liquid streamed down his chin from one side of his mouth.

"…what the?!" Ryuji yelled shocked, voicing what everyone else was thinking but too horrified to speak up themselves.

"Father!" Haru exclaimed, a hand over her mouth. "I… I need to check up on him! Feel free to stay here as long as you wish. I will see you all later." And with that, the fluffy-haired girl was gone, running madly towards the park gates.

"What's going on?" Yusuke asked, visibly shaken. "Morgana, did we do something wrong?"

"No…" the cat shook his head, but everyone could tell he was just as confused. "I… don't think so. We did everything as always!"

"But then… why…?" Ann whispered, tears dancing in her bright blue eyes. Ryuji wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she didn't even complain.

"Akechi" Futaba said calmly, however her eyes were flashing dangerously.

"What?" Makoto frowned at the red-haired girl.

"It must have been him" the hacker continued determinately. "This looks exactly like what happened to my mom. And we do suspect he is behind the mental shutdowns, no?"

"But it can't be!" Makoto was almost shouting. It couldn't have been Akechi: he had told her he had a plan. He had promised he would save them all and make Shido pay for his crimes! There _had_ to be another explanation, or even another culprit. Maybe this proved Akechi was not the one behind all the murderers in the first place. But no, she knew she was lying to herself: she had read the texts on his phone and he had confessed, right?

"I would recognize the symptoms anywhere" Futaba explained severely. "You guys are all idiots, allowing him to join your group in Hawaii. He's been deceiving you all along."

 _Buzz._

Makoto's and Akira's phones received a message at the exact same time, and both teenagers went to check who the sender was.

 _"_ _Whatever you do, do NOT reveal Akechi's true identity to the others!_ _You'll thank me later_ _-Someone who wants to help you."_

Makoto and Akira exchanged an alarmed look, but when the others asked what was happening, they decided to lie and keep quiet. They could look into this later.

The silence that followed was so intense and filled with doubt and sorrow, it was unbearable. Makoto turned the other way and left without a single word, and no one even tried to stop her or ask her where she was going. Every single one of them was lost in their own world, wondering if confirming their true identities to Akechi had been a terrible mistake after all.

* * *

She was so disappointed and mad she wasn't even paying attention to where she was going. She was wandering around the empty streets of Tokyo, not caring that it was the middle of the night, or that shady people were lurking in the dark. All she could think about was Okumura having a mental shutdown and who had provoked it. She gritted her teeth and stopped by a dark alley with shabby apartment blocks and punched the wall with all the strength she had, only to cause a sharp pain to shoot through her hand as she cursed loudly.

"Damn you, Akechi…!" she whined quietly.

"That looked painful."

The voice of the person she had been thinking about the whole day and night just resonated in the night air, and she turned to glance at him as her eyes widened with surprise.

"…you!" she groaned and gave him a look of pure hatred.

"Hello, Makoto-chan" he greeted mockingly, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the opposite wall. He was eying her amused, as if he hadn't just killed a man and broken the promise he had made her.

Makoto breathed heavily as they both stood in front of each other, the only sound that of the wind and cars' engines in the distance.

That amused sparkle in his reddish-brown eyes, his lips curled into a challenging smirk, his whole composed posture: she would erase each one of those features for what he had done to her friends. And to her.

She strode toward him, her eyes flashing with rage and hatred, not caring he was much stronger than her as well as a dangerous assassin. She didn't even register the fact he had untangled his arms and was now looking at her with curiosity. All she did was lift her right arm high up in the air and slapped him across the face with all the strength she could muster. The smacking sound echoed all around them as Akechi's face shot to his right, as strands of brown hair partly concealed it after being hit so hard. A gust of wind blew over them as their hair and clothes fluttered to the same direction as the wind, and then everything stopped. Deafening silence as they stood motionless in the semi-dark.

"Why… did you do it?" he questioned softly without looking at her.

"Because you're one hell of a bastard!" she cried out, balling her hands into fists.

"Well" he finally turned to face her, a small smile on his lips. "Are you surprised?"

Makoto took a step back and glanced at him questioningly. "I am afraid that answer is not enough. I will try again. Why did you do it?"

"I told you" she said, her voice shaking with anger. "Because you're a bastard undeserving of love."

Akechi lifted his chin defiantly and then chuckled after a short silence. "Undeserving of _whose_ love?"

Makoto was actually taken aback by his words as a wave of confusion assailed her, and Akechi took a step forward. "My parents' love? Friends' love? Or _your_ love?"

"What?" she replied coolly after collecting enough strength. "My love? How could I ever love a twisted freak like you?"

Maybe the darkness around them was playing tricks on her mind, but she could swear something like hurt flashed through his eyes. However, when he took another step towards her and under the light emitted from a nearby lamp post, it was gone. His face was now a blank mask, unreadable.

He stopped only when her back touched the wall behind her and seemed to be studying her as if he had never seen another human being before.

He was standing inches away from her now and, just like all the other times she'd been stuck in a dangerous situation with him, she lost control over her body: her legs shook violently with fear but refused to move and bring her to safety; her eyes were locked onto his bottomless ones; her heart was pounding like never before and she was actually surprised no one in the proximity had come to investigate the source of the noise.

Suddenly, his back curved and his head bowed to meet hers, and he was so damn close she could see her own reflection mirrored in his eyes. He extended both his arms and rested them against the wall, one on each side of her head so that she had nowhere to run. Then, slowly and gently, his arms trailed down and went to touch the skin on her shoulders, then further down until he was caressing her forearms and stopped at her wrists, his fingers curling around them in a soft grip oh-so different from the one he'd used on her back in Shibuya or at the hotel in Hawaii.

She was fully aware of every single heartbeat and her shallow and irregular breathing, as well as his warm touch. And she knew perfectly well she could be seconds away from death, but she was sure her frantic heartbeats were not caused by fear.

His face came even closer until their noses touched and she was pretty sure her heart had jumped all the way up to her throat because suddenly she couldn't breathe at all. She wanted to take control of her actions again and scream to him what the hell he was thinking he was doing, and to get his dirty hands off her, but her mind had gone completely blank and was no longer thinking rationally.

She swallowed hard as his lips parted and then curled into a smirk. "Your words and your heart" he said in a low, seductive voice "They don't seem to agree with each other."

And, as suddenly as it had started, it was over. He loosened the grip around her wrists and withdrew, her whole body feeling suddenly cold and her heart empty as she watched him walk away in silence.

A whirlwind of contrasting emotions assailed her as fear, frustration, sadness, longing and, particularly, realization kicked in.

"My gosh…" she whined quietly as warm tears streamed down her cheeks and her legs buckled, making her fall to her knees. "Of all people… why did it have to be you?"

* * *

He was one big piece of shit and he knew it perfectly well. He had deceived his best friends, and yet he was allowed to keep walking on the same earth and breathe the same air as them.

It was all his fault: he had allowed himself to get too close to the Phantom Thieves and Niijima-chan. And he had allowed them to do the same. Now it would be even tougher to let go of all the memories he had with them.

He took his phone and read once more the text messages she had been sending him during the day, messages he couldn't answer in case Shido was monitoring his conversations, and he instantly realized he had taken things too far. With Makoto particularly.

Now they would all hate him, or needed to learn how to with time. He didn't blame them, and he knew it would be for the best. However, his heart was bleeding out and desperately trying to convince him to reply to Makoto's messages, to tell her what he had been forced to do, and that he never intended to break his promise.

A buzzing coming from the phone he was holding made him jump as he frantically punched in the password to unlock the screen and opened the message box. His heart sank with disappointment when he read Shido's name, however he was curious to see what the man's reaction would be.

 _"Heard about Okumura-san requesting a panel tonight?_ _Well done, my boy. You never fail to amaze me. Now get your dear Akira arrested and eliminate him."_

Akechi tossed his phone on the bed with a "tsk" when it buzzed again.

 _"_ _Oh, one more thing. I don't want to put more pressure on you, but I think I will give you a deadline this time. I want that kid dead within November the 20_ _th_ _. You've got a month, should be more than enough to come up with a plan. Have a pleasant night."_

Well, crap. Having such a short deadline to get Akira arrested and save his life while deceiving Shido would prove truly tough. After all, he doubted the Phantom Thieves were willing to forgive him. Again.

Shido was probably counting on the fact he would continue with their plan, which consisted of Akechi approaching his friends and convince them to infiltrate Sae Niijima's Palace to clear their names after being accused of killing Okumura. And since Shido didn't know that Haru Okumura had joined the Phantom Thieves and they therefore had a grudge against him for eliminating the girl's father, he was also unaware of the fact he couldn't follow the plan. As if he would care anyway. Akechi was confident the man felt a twisted joy whenever he put him in difficult situations and loved to watch him struggle. The sick bastard...

However, what Shido, as well as the Phantom Thieves, didn't know either was that he _did_ have another friend he could count on.

This would require so much thinking and proceeding with surgical precision, but he could do it with a bit of luck. Akechi smirked: it was not over yet.

* * *

Tamiko Fujikawa had finally managed to make her dream come true and got her application approved by her college of choice, where she was currently studying to become a journalist. Even though she hated listening to the news of people being found mysteriously dead, or falling victims to these odd mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns, she was hoping she could graduate in time for her to investigate the case herself. After all, complicates cases like this one could take years before the culprit was arrested and so, even if she was still a freshman, she could have a small chance of succeeding.

But the path was long, and she needed money to support herself as well as paying for her tuition fees and accommodation. She was therefore quite happy when she had found a part-time job as a letter deliverer. Not her dream job, but better than nothing. And it was relatively easy.

However, it was on days like that –rainy and gloomy and the sky painted dark grey- she wished she had an indoors job. With a defeated sigh, she put on her jacket and opened the door. She gasped loudly and was quite sure her heart had stopped for several seconds when she found herself face to face with the boy she had had a huge crush on back in high school. And she would be a fool to admit she had stopped thinking about him whenever she saw him on TV or heard his name on the radio.

Unruly brown-hair, reddish-hazel eyes and a tall, well-built physique. The boy who haunted her dreams was standing right in front of her, looking like he desperately needed help.

"A-A-Ake…chi?"

"I know you're going to work and I know you don't have time, but this won't take long" he said quickly as he took her wrist and dragged her back inside her small apartment, kicking the door closed behind him. "Sit down" he ordered, and she gave him a hard look: the last thing she wanted to hear was to be told to sit down in her own flat by a guy who had never set foot in there before. However, she did as he said and he leaned against a wall and crossed his arms over his chest.

"W-what can I do for you, Akechi-kun?" she asked shakily, hating how adoring her voice sounded. She was supposed to be an adult now, and that guy was still a kid compared to her, dammit!

"I need you to deliver a letter" he said simply, and she lifted her brows and giggled. "Akechi-kun, you could've come to the post office and given me the letter instead of almost killing me! By the way… how do you know I work as a letter deliverer?"

"No time to explain. Just do it" he continued roughly and she frowned angrily.

"Where are your manners?" she pouted, but all she obtained was an impatient snort.

"Tamiko-chan, _please_. You are my last hope…"

 _Now_ she was worried. The way he had said it sounded so desperate…

"What happened, Akechi-kun?" she asked softly, standing to approach him but he simply began pacing back and forth.

"It's a long story, and you probably don't want to know anyway" he explained sadly, but she shook her head. "If you don't tell me what's happening, I am not helping."

Akechi stopped and glanced at her for long before sighing. "Well, it's going to take a while. Take this SIM card and send a message to these numbers while I think of where to begin."

* * *

Makoto sent a text to the number who had messaged her. She didn't find the name of the sender on the yellow pages, and thought this person wanted to remain anonymous. Of course, she could always ask Futaba, but the question was: did she want to? Futaba would ask questions, and then she would be forced to explain why she had received a message ordering her not to reveal Akechi's true identity.

She had been discussing this with Akira on the phone during the night after coming back home, careful to omit her encounter with Akechi himself. Akira believed it was wise to follow this mysterious person's directions for the time being, and reassured her that Akechi was probably innocent. That maybe Shido had discovered something and had come up with an alternative plan to take down Okumura.

She hoped with all her heart Akira was right… Akechi had been seeming so genuine and sincere ever since their school trip to Hawaii. No one could be that good an actor, really.

But who else could have killed Okumura-san, then? They only knew of one other Persona-user other than them, and that person was Goro Akechi, the black-masked assassin.

As she had expected, no one replied to her text or her phone calls, and she tossed her smartphone on the desk, knocking over a plush doll in the process.

She sat on her bed, massaging her temples as she replayed the event of the last few days: the relaxing moments she had spent with Akechi after school sipping coffee and chatting happily; him showing up at her door late in the evening and acting so strangely; the dreams she'd been having about him; Okumura collapsing on live television and her friends' horrified reactions; Haru, from whom they hadn't heard since the panel, and how she must be feeling right now; the mysterious person who had sent her that message, and then her encounter with Akechi. That part in particular concerned her: her heart would still skip a beat and she'd feel butterflies in her stomach whenever she thought of how close his face had been to hers, the look he'd given her, that bloody smirk, his scent…

"Argh, dammit!" she groaned in frustration as she held both sides of her head with her hands. "Get out of my head!"

"…get out of my heart."

* * *

 **Oh, someone is falling in love! But the question is: do you think Goro feels the same for Makoto? *laughs evilly***

 **And as always, if you like the story so far, have some love to send or simply an opinion you'd like to share, feel free to let me know! Reviews and support are always much appreciated and motivate me a lot! :***


	12. Truth Unfolded

**This must be one of my favorite chapters so far and I am quite satisfied with the result! However, I am quite curious to know your opinions about what I will be talking about in my author's notes at the bottom of the page about a specific explanation I have provided in this chapter... Well, hope y'all enjoy this! ^^**

* * *

"It's my free day today, Akechi-kun!"

"I know! But can't you make an exception and work overtime?"

"What's in for me, anyway?!"

"My… eternal gratitude?"

Those puppy eyes of him and that damn smile had a hypnotic power on her, and even though she hated herself for being so weak even after a whole year spent away from him and convincing herself she had forgotten him, here she was, agreeing to carry a letter all the way to Yongen-Jaya to a member of the Phantom Thieves. On behalf of a serial killer, Japan's most dangerous one as well as the culprit she might be writing about and earning a fortune by selling him off. But she didn't, because his story made absolutely no sense. And because she had something called feelings for the damn guy.

However, what happened to Okumura on live TV _did_ remind her an awful lot of Ikeda-sensei collapsing in front of the entire school two years before. That couldn't be a coincidence...

"Why don't you buy another SIM card and talk to them yourself?" she decided to ask him.

"Because Shido must be filtering every call, text and e-mail on my phone, not only on my SIM card. Besides, no one would ever guess I am using such a rudimental means of communication..."

"Alright, then! Pass me the letter" Tamiko rolled her eyes exasperated, ignoring his comment about post delivery being rudimental. He smiled broadly as he handed her a small envelope, which she promptly stuffed in her bag.

She got changed and, just as she was about to open the door fully dressed in her uniform and leave her apartment, Akechi spoke again. "Thank you, Tamiko-chan. This means a lot to me."

She didn't turn to him, but simply smiled as her cheeks reddened. With one last nod, she closed the door behind her.

As she rode the train all the way to Yongen-Jaya, she examined the content of her bag and particularly Akechi's letter. From what she could understand, Akechi-kun was being forced to use some sort of supernatural power in an alternative world to kill targets on behalf of his father, the famous politician Masayoshi Shido, who had never acknowledged him and didn't know he was the boy's parent. However, Akechi met and gradually became friends with the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, who he had been ordered to eliminate. When he failed to obey the first time, Shido had put someone to spy on him and threatened him to kill his friends, so he wanted to use her as a means to communicate with the others and let them know what his plan was. Which meant she had just agreed to take part to an exceptionally dangerous and possibly life-threatening situation. Just great.

Of course, even if his story sort of made sense when analyzing the way victims died as well as the modus operandi of the Phantom Thieves, she couldn't believe a word he said. However, she never liked that Masayoshi Shido everyone seemed to praise. The guy just seemed fishy to her, and apparently she had been right all along.

When she arrived in Yongen-Jaya, Tamiko was starting to feel agitated. After all, Akechi-kun had told her Shido was spying on him, so what if she was being spied on too? What if she was discovered? Shido had ordered the death of so many people, it would be simple for him to have her killed and make it look like a tragic casualty…

But if she backtracked now, Shido would never be caught and pay for his crimes. She had to be strong and act normal. After all, she was just doing her job…

The café was easy to find and when she opened the door, she was greeted by a kind-looking man standing in the middle of the cozy locale as he cleared a table.

"Good morning" she replied with a smile and took the letter Akechi had given her out of her bag. "I have a letter for Mr. Kurusu Akira."

"Aaah, Akira. Wait, what has he done now?" the man frowned worried, but Tamiko smiled and shook her head. "Nothing to worry about. It is a perfectly normal letter. Maybe your son has got a penpal!"

"M-my son?" the man widened his eyes. "No, you are mistaken. He is not my son. I am just offering him a place to stay this year for his studies."

Tamiko smiled tenderly when she saw the man's face gaining more color as a small and longing smile appeared on it. She didn't doubt he was fond of the boy.

"Well, would you mind giving him this letter?" Tamiko extended an arm to offer him the envelope which he took with a curious look. "I will" he nodded. "And don't give me that look, I won't open it."

"By the way" the man spoke again as she prepared to leave. "This letter doesn't have a name on it. Who's this from?"

Tamiko turned slightly and smiled. "How would I know? I just deliver them. Good day."

* * *

 _"_ _Wherever you are and whatever you're doing, come straight to LeBlanc ASAP."_

Akira's latest message on their group chat concerned her: either something amazing had happened, or something really bad. And judging by the way he had written the text, she was expecting exciting news. After all, they knew each other enough by now to figure out their mood even from behind a smartphone screen…

Makoto was halfway done with her Literature essay but, with a resigned sigh, closed the book and went to grab a coat to head to Yongen-Jaya.

The howling wind and the heavy rain weren't helping her improve her gloomy mood but luckily the trains were not too crowded at that time of the day, so she could at least sit down.

When she arrived to the small café, she greeted Sojiro and proceeded upstairs to Akira's room. Futaba, Ryuji and Ann were already there looking as concerned as her. Haru and Yusuke joined minutes after her arrival.

"So" Morgana was the first to speak, obviously eager to let everyone know what was going on. "Akira got a letter this morning."

"…dude, did you call us here just 'cause you got a letter?" Ryuji asked disappointed and visibly annoyed for having been summoned for something like that during a thunderstorm.

"Let him continue!" Ann reprimanded him, but she looked just as disappointed as him.

Akira didn't say a word. Instead, he walked to his desk and took a small envelope, looking plain and with no name or address on it. Everyone frowned.

"Who's it from?" Makoto asked.

Akira lifted his gaze, looking at each one of them before opening his mouth. "Goro Akechi."

"Akechi?" Ryuji asked confused. "I thought you two were quite close. Why would he send you a letter and not a text?"

"Because…" Akira stopped to look at Makoto. "Maybe it's much easier if you read what he wrote. But I suppose Makoto and I have a little premise to make."

Makoto looked down as she felt her friends' eyes on her. Akira was obviously meaning to reveal Akechi's true identity to everyone else.

"I mean" Akira smiled bitterly as he continued. "I am quite sure it will not come as a big shock or surprise, but I do ask of you to let us explain until the very end. After that, you can react however you wish."

"Akira, you're scaring me…" Haru whispered and Yusuke, who was the closest to her, stroked her forearm as a way to show his support.

"Let's get straight to the point" the black-haired boy said. "Goro Akechi is the true culprit behind the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns. The Black Mask we're looking for. And Makoto and I knew it."

Whatever reaction Makoto was expecting from her friends, she was surprised: all of them stood still, either sitting in their chairs or on the sofa, or leaning against the wall. None of them made a single sound as they stared at each other blankly.

"Of course it was him" Futaba smiled bitterly, her voice sounding uncommonly venomous. "I did tell you, didn't I?"

"What do you mean you and Makoto knew, though?" Yusuke interrupted the red-haired girl and untangled his arms across his chest.

"Do you remember the last day we spent in Hawaii, when Makoto came to sleep in my room?" Akira explained calmly. "It was when she discovered who he really was when she managed to check the messages on his phone while he was away."

"Did he attack you?!" Ann asked Makoto, visibly worried.

"He… got angry" Makoto said in a tiny voice, unable to look at them. "But he didn't do anything to me. He said… he only told me to contact Akira and meet up on the rooftop to discuss a plan he had come up with."

"What plan?" Yusuke frowned. So far, the blue-haired boy seemed to be the least agitated one.

"He confessed he is the one behind all the murders and accidents in Japan. Apparently his Persona is capable of driving Shadows mad and, consequently, people in the real world too. However, do you guys remember when he told us his childhood story? Of course, Haru and Futaba were not there…" Akira continued, and then glanced once more at Makoto for support.

"His father abandoned his mother when he learned she was with child. And his mother took her own life after giving birth because she was too ashamed, so he grew up in an orphanage and had a terrible childhood, changing foster homes and families all the time. When he learned who his father was, he swore revenge on him until he awoke to his Persona. But, instead of infiltrating his Palace straight away, he decided to help him rise to power before taking everything away from him by defeating his Shadow. And when I say defeat, I mean kill" Makoto explained sadly.

"That bastard…!" Ryuji shouted, but Akira shook his head. "You don't understand…"

"What exactly don't I understand, Akira?" Ryuji continued angrily. "You guys are just as guilty as him, coverin' his true identity and backin' him up!"

"Didn't I ask you to let us finish first?" Akira continued calmly. "There's more…"

"Right" Makoto nodded. "Of course, we cannot overlook the fact he is indeed behind all those deaths, including Futaba's mother…" the girl paused shortly to glance at Futaba, who was stubbornly looking the other way. "But Shido is the real culprit. He exploited his powers to put him up to this, and told Akechi-kun that Futaba's mother was working on the study of the cognitive world and would reveal his true identity to the world and have him arrested and killed."

"That is not true!" Futaba finally spoke, tears wetting her cheeks. "My mom would never do something like that!"

"We know, Futaba!" Makoto explained gently. "But don't you get it? Akechi-kun has grown up in isolation and abandoned by everyone. Shido has told him nothing but lies and played with his emotions. Furthermore, he had no idea how to trigger a change of heart without killing the Shadow. We would have been the same as him had it not been for Morgana."

Everyone fell silent again as they processed the new information, but they all still looked angry and suspicious.

"What about my father, then?" Haru asked, her tone almost shy as she inquired them about it. "Why did he kill him? At a certain point, you must have told him how to change someone's heart by stealing the ruler's Treasure, right? So why…?"

Makoto had no answer to that: after all, she was still confused herself about it. Akechi had promised them he would spare Okumura's life and join the Phantom Thieves to change his father's heart. So why did he kill the president?

Everyone but Morgana was quite shocked when Akira smirked broadly. "Don't worry, Haru. Your father is not dead."

* * *

"Only for you" he whispered, keeping the image of a smiling Makoto clear in his mind.

He pulled the trigger.

He aimed at a random spot inches away from Shadow Okumura's head, and the man knelt in front of him turned with a startle, gasping with fear.

"W-who… are you?!" the Shadow asked terrorized.

"Listen up" Akechi interrupted him quickly. "If you want to save your life as well as that of your daughter, you must do exactly as I say."

The black-masked boy stepped closer to the man in front of him and knelt down beside him, before whispering something in his ear. Shadow Okumura's eyes widened with realization and fear but, after a few seconds of silence, he swallowed hard and nodded.

"I am deeply sorry for this" Akechi muttered after standing up and summoning Loki. "I promise everything will go back to normal at some point."

Akechi nodded a silent command as Loki's eyes flashed red and its lips curled into a hungry smile while it approached the target, who was staring back in awe at the Persona as if enthralled.

Unlike the previous times, Akechi didn't stay behind to watch. Instead, he slowly made his way to the exit as Okumura's screams rang through his ears and everything around him collapsed.

* * *

"Yes, I delivered the letter. No, no one saw me!"

Tamiko was patiently answering Akechi's questions, the boy looking deeply concerned as he leaned against a wall by the window, nervously looking out of it to make sure no one had followed her. Ever since his first appearance at her place, Akechi would always wear a black hoodie to conceal his face whenever he left his apartment to go on his "special mission". In other circumstances, Tamiko would mock him and say he was becoming paranoid, but she couldn't deny he looked extremely cute in it.

His looks, combined to the tragic story he'd told her, just made him look more and more appealing to her. Feeling suddenly very bold, she asked him if he currently had any "special one" in his life.

The boy finally tore his gaze from the window and glanced at her so intensely she blushed. When he opened his mouth to speak, however, a long whine came from the adjacent room and she jumped in her chair.

"My gosh, Akechi-kun! Do I really have to keep him here? He creeps the heck out of me!" she complained as she rose to her feet to check up on the man lying in a cot in the kitchen.

He didn't answer, but merely gave her a guilty look and smiled shyly. Of course she had to…

"Will you ever tell me how the heck you managed to save his life? Everyone on TV says he has been proclaimed dead by the hospital!" she asked when she came back into the living room.

"You wouldn't believe me anyway" he smirked, but the look on her face said it all. "Alright then…"

* * *

"…I can't believe it" Ann whispered in awe.

"S-so… father is… _alive_?" Haru's voice was full with expectation and hope as Akira revealed the truth explained by Akechi in his letter. The dark-haired boy nodded with a gentle smile. "Yes, he is. However, for safety reasons, Akechi wrote he is not going to tell us where Okumura-san currently is at. He just said he is somewhere safe, where Shido cannot find him."

"But how did he survive?" Ann frowned confused. "We all saw him collapse on TV, and the doctors confirmed he was dead!"

"That part is quite genius" Akira smiled proudly. "Apparently, Goro infiltrated Okumura-san's Palace right after us, and managed to convince his Shadow to create a cognitive copy of the examination room as well as the morgue of Keio University Hospital, which we all know is right in front of Okumura's HQ. It is not a secret your father has been previously treated there, Haru, and that he therefore knows how the whole place looks like. Then, when the time came, he exploited the app to replace Okumura-san's real self with a cognitive version of him before the autopsy. When the doctors arrived, they examined the body of a fake Okumura, while he had all the time in the world to carry the real one somewhere safe."

"I'm not sure I'm following…" Ryuji's eyes were wide with surprise.

"Right. How did he know Okumura would be taken to _that_ particular hospital?" Yusuke inquired.

"I dunno" Akira shrugged. "But isn't that like… the best of the best, where most celebrities and important people are treated? Besides, it was the closest hospital when he collapsed..."

"That was a lucky shot, though" Ann muttered, and everyone nodded.

"Right. He gambled a lot there!" Ryuji continued. "But man… I am impressed."

"But what's going to happen to my father?" Haru asked worried. "He did have a psychotic breakdown, after all."

"I am not entirely sure myself" Morgana replied with a frown. "However, Akechi did write he knows exactly what he is doing, and that he has a plan to bring your father back to normal after Shido has been taken down."

"What else does that letter say?" Futaba spoke next, obviously still suspicious of Akechi.

"Nothing else" Akira answered. "He just said to wait for further instructions."

"Who does he think he is? The new leader?!" Futaba exclaimed angrily, and grunted when no one else joined her in her frustration.

"I know you hate the guy for what he did to your mom, Futaba" Akira said softly. "But give him a chance… after all, it's all Shido's fault she died in the first place. We are fighting the same enemy, here."

"I'll just have you know I will never fully trust that guy, nor do I intend to forgive him for what he did" Futaba retorted stubbornly. "But… I guess you're right."

* * *

The Phantom Thieves' popularity was dropping dramatically ever since the news about Okumura's death spread out, and everyone was calling them murderers. Akechi would never understand the people from Japan: first they requested the man punished and dead, then they'd point an accusation finger at whomever was responsible and call them murderer. Talking about coherence.

However, he was extremely relieved to see Shido didn't suspect anything. On the contrary, the man had congratulated him multiple times with his unctuous smile and patted him on the shoulder. It took all of his self-control not to flinch with disgust, as the boy thought the poker face he wore whenever he was around the man he hated the most deserved at least an Oscar.

On the other hand, in contrast with the Phantom Thieves', his popularity sky-rocketed again as everyone requested his appearances on TV to discuss the matter more and more often. He would accept only to keep up the charade, but made sure to sound much more neutral during the interviews.

He had to admit he didn't enjoy popularity as much as he did before meeting Akira and the others: the audience's love had always made him feel special and appreciated, but now he simply wished to be left alone. His life was busy enough without storms of girls following him once again wherever he went, which made his visits to Tamiko even more complicated.

He had taken the habit of walking around Shibuya in his uniform, making sure he carried his hoodie and jeans in a backpack -which had replaced his suitcase-, before stopping by some random diner or café where he'd change in the restrooms and leave from the window. It took a lot of effort to move carefully and make sure no one was following, but so far he was managing.

He couldn't say the same about poor Tamiko, who seemed to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. The girl had to cope with studying hard, writing articles, delivering letters as well as taking care of Okumura-san. The man mostly was in a vegetative state, but sometimes he would wake up in the middle of the night and scream or whine, scaring the girl to death.

"How much longer?" she would ask him exasperated whenever he strode into her apartment as if it was his and flopping onto her sofa. He would let her boil down her rage because he knew she'd always calm down whenever he was around, and then she'd proceed to make excellent dinner for the both of them. In other circumstances, Akechi thought he could have asked her out because she was pretty and brave and loyal. But for some reason, he wasn't interested. For some reason, whenever he thought of taking the girl out somewhere, he imagined himself sitting in a cozy restaurant with someone else…

"Hellooo?" Tamiko was poking his arm as the smell of egg noodles with chicken reached his nostrils. "I expect at least that you join me to the kitchen for dinner."

Akechi followed the girl to the other room, ignoring Okumura who was fast asleep in his cot as always and sat at the usual spot with the girl across of him.

"I have another letter to deliver" he said as he took a spoon and let the exquisite food energize him.

"Mhm" the girl hummed nonchalantly. She was too used to his requests by now to be affected by them. "When and where?"

"Usual place. Possibly tomorrow afternoon" he explained, and she nodded quietly.

"I… really want you to know it is not easy for me to express gratitude. But I do owe you a lot, Tamiko-chan" he said sincerely.

"You could show it a bit more concretely, then" she retorted bitterly without looking at him.

Akechi didn't answer. He knew perfectly well what she meant by that, and it was something he couldn't give her. Sometimes, when they sat on her sofa after eating dinner and watching some trash program on TV in the semi-dark room, he thought it would be easy for him to wrap an arm around her shoulder and pull her closer and give her what she desired the most. But whenever he tried to send the order from his brain to his body, this wouldn't obey. And so, they kept sitting next to each other with Tamiko intentionally brushing her fingers against his, but without really taking the initiative.

His heart ached at the very thought of hurting the only person in the whole world willing to help and risk her life for someone as undeserving as him. However, he would feel even worse if he deceived her by pretending to have deeper feelings for her when his thoughts kept running to one particular girl. Her smile, those bottomless red eyes of hers and that pout she always put on whenever he irritated her would flash through his mind at the most inopportune moments.

He never realized before how often he let himself think of Makoto Niijima, but now that he was not allowed to see her or hear from her it felt much more intense.

When he forced himself to return to Tamiko's living room, he realized the girl was fast asleep, her head slightly bended to one side as it gently rested on his shoulder. He smiled tenderly and slowly moved her until she laid flat on the sofa, and put a plaid over her. After turning off the TV and giving her one last look, Goro Akechi put on his hoodie and left the apartment in the middle of the night.

* * *

 _"_ _I got another letter."_

 _"_ _What does it say?!"_

 _"_ _That we can finally proceed with whatever plan Shido has prepared for us."_

 _"_ _So infiltrate Sae-san's Palace and change her heart?"_

 _"_ _Yes."_

The day had finally arrived. Makoto sighed loudly as she read the illegal texts her friends sent during class.

So they had come to this point, the one she feared the most. One small mistake and they'd all be dead. However, she knew this was a necessary step towards their victory: after all, Akechi had told them everything from the start, so they knew exactly what to do and what to expect.

But no matter how hard she tried to reassure herself, she couldn't stop thinking about the fact that something could indeed go wrong: what if Shido found out? What if Akira or Akechi or any of them made a mistake and ruined everything? This required so much work and so much luck that Okumura's rescue plan paled in comparison.

Well, she needed to have faith. After all, Akechi-kun was putting his life on the line for them and she couldn't afford to lose focus. Besides, her sister had changed immensely ever since their father died, and Makoto sort of wished for her to experience a change of heart and return to being the kind and loving sister she once was.

But it was what came after stealing Sae's Treasure that worried her: Akira was supposed to be arrested by the police called on the spot by Akechi, then taken to the police station for interrogation. At that point, Akechi was supposed to kill him but he had sworn he had another plan to save the leader of the Phantom Thieves before infiltrating Shido's Palace. She hated to admit it, but she was worried. What if his was just an act and he would _really_ eliminate Akira and then reveal their true identities? Could they really trust the boy who was responsible of so many deaths?

If that wasn't enough, the October's school festival was approaching fast and she was supposed to nominate a special guest for the annual panel. Since she had no idea who to invite, she resolved to let her fellow students decide for her. Unsurprisingly enough, the majority had voted for Akechi Goro.

"Cheer up, Makoto" Akira smiled at her when they were finished reading all the names on the pieces of paper. "At least we can talk to him properly!"

Well, she couldn't argue with that: it pained her to admit it, but she was missing him more than anything. She missed their silly conversations, their texts in the middle of the night, his smile and his whole presence in general…

She even missed that tone of superiority he would sometimes use with her whenever he wanted to annoy her. And that was not a good sign.

It was therefore with shaking hands she started typing her first message to him after weeks of silence to ask if he could attend the panel. His reply came shortly after during break, but it was not an affirmative one. He simply told her he would think about it. What an idiot!

As the day of the festival impended and girls from Shujin stopped her every second or two to bomb her with questions about Akechi participating or not, Makoto was seriously starting to feel hopeless. The day before the festival, as she desperately tried to find another guest who could fill in the gap, she received a text from Akechi confirming he would be attending.

"God, was it that difficult?!" she almost yelled at the screen of her phone, but then smiled broadly. He was going to take part to their festival. She didn't need to find a replacement!

 _She would be seeing him the following day!_

* * *

It was with immense pride and joy that Makoto answered –way too happily- to her fellow students' questions that day before class. All the girls shrieked excitedly when Makoto confirmed Akechi's commitment as she felt a huge weight being lifted from her shoulders.

However, as the clock chimed the end of today's lessons and Kawakami-sensei's voice echoed throughout the school from the speakers to announce the festival would be commencing soon, Makoto was feeling so nervous her stomach ached.

How would it feel like to see him again? Natural? Awkward?

Or was she feeling that nervous because she was afraid he would be cold and distant like the messages he had sent her? Her mood would still darken whenever she read his last texts, which all sounded so impersonal and brusque compared to the ones he used to send her.

Did something happen during the weeks they'd been apart? Had he found someone? The last thought in particular made her stomach shrink painfully.

She decided not to go back home and change. After all, being the student council president, she had a duty to stay behind and made sure everything was ready before the rest of the school arrived. She was still patrolling the first floor when Akira and the others made their entrance, accompanied by Futaba –who had apparently won her fear of being surrounded by tons of strangers- and Yusuke.

"I smell food" Yusuke's nose twitched pleasantly as his lips curled into a smile full of expectation. "Do you perhaps serve yakisoba?"

"I think there is a booth on the-"

" _Our_ booth has delicious yakisoba, Yusuke! You should try it out!" Ann interrupted Makoto with an over-excited smile.

"Uh? Do we?" Akira lifted a brow, surprised.

"YES, Akira, we _do"_ Ann replied way too aggressively than necessary as she headed towards the staircase.

The group made their way to the second floor, occasionally stopping to admire a specific decoration or the gadgets displayed at the many booths scattered all over the place, until they reached class 2-D, looking strangely devoid of people.

"Uhm?" Ryuji hummed as he looked around. "Where the eff is everyone?"

"No matter!" Ann butted in nervously. "It means we are free to talk in peace!"

And, with that, the blonde dropped her bag onto the floor and took a seat by the giant prop octopus sitting on the corridor floor. One of her classmates dressed in a maid outfit who had previously been appointed today's waitress, approached them and asked them what they would like to eat.

"Yakisoba" Yusuke said promptly, his smile fading instantly when the other girl shook her head and informed him they didn't have anything of the sort.

"But Ann…!" he exclaimed, but the blonde pretended to ignore him.

The group of friends took a look at the menu on the table, but whatever they tried to order was apparently not available.

"What would you recommend with what you have now?" Haru finally resolved to ask the waitress.

"That would be the Russian takoyaki!" the girl answered merrily.

Haru then decided to place one order of takoyaki, as everyone chattered excitedly about the fact it was a "Russian" version of the famous Japanese dish.

The student maid arrived after several minutes carrying a boat-shaped plate with different takoyakis, as a larger one sat in the middle and looked dangerously spicy. Haru's eyes flashed with excitement and anticipation as she eyed the red ball in front of her but, right when she was about to claim it, Goro Akechi made his entrance and approached their table.

"Here you all are."

He had appeared so suddenly and unexpectedly that Makoto's heart stopped for a few seconds when her eyes met his. There he was in all his glory, looking the same as always and carrying that stunning smile of his.

"Yo Goro" Akira was the first to greet him as the others were too stunned to say anything.

"May I join you for a moment?" he asked politely and then went to grab a chair to sit with them. "Oh, is that takoyaki?!"

Akechi was eying the food at the center of the table with sparkling eyes, and particularly the "special" one. "I'm going to have one of these." And, without waiting for allowance, he took the red ball and ate it in one bite.

"Oh, the special one!" Haru gasped surprised as Ann palmed her face. "Eating it in one bite is a bad idea…"

Akechi's satisfied smile slowly faded as his face turned red and he began sweating. "Ngh…my throat…! Urgh! This is…! Ohhh… my stomach… it burns!"

"Are you OK? Do you need water?!" Ann asked him concerned, but the boy pretended to be fine and forced an awkward smile on his pained face. "I-I-I'm fine… eheh… I just love… spicy… spicy stuff… ha… haha… ugh."

"Dude, you're on fire" Ryuji could barely contain his laughter as he eyed Akechi struggling against the fire in his mouth.

"It's not funny, Ryuji!" Makoto reprimanded her friend, but she had to admit it was extremely amusing to watch Akechi fight against the spicy food burning his system as he tried to keep it together.

"Y-y-you know w-what, T-T-Takamaki…chan…?" he stammered as a single, lonely tear escaped his eyes. "I m-m-might need that w-w-water a-after all…"

Ann instantly ran to a booth nearby to grab a few bottles of ice cold water and passed them to Akechi. The boy opened one and drank it all in a few gulps but Ryuji watched him skeptically and grabbed the other bottle.

"That's never gonna work!" he announced happily as he stood up and opened the bottle in his hand. " _This_ however…"

And, with that, he emptied the content of the bottle on the brown-haired boy's head as he jerked at the temperature shock.

"Are you trying to kill him, you idiot?!" Ann yelled at the other blonde as Akechi froze in his seat. "Look, he's not moving anymore! Akechi-kun, are you still alive?"

"Well, I must admit it _was_ pretty cold…" Ryuji smirked as he examined the empty bottle which looked like it had just been taken out of a freezer.

"I think you just killed our only hope of survival" Yusuke stated amiably, his hands folded in hip lap.

"I say it's not bad news" Futaba smirked malevolently.

"Nah, he's a tough one, eh Goro?" Akira smiled amused and nudged his friend in the side, receiving absolutely no response. "Well, this may take a while."

"Yeah, let's eat what's left!"

* * *

When he regained control of his body and thoughts, Akechi realized Akira and Ryuji were helping him walk around by keeping him in balance.

"…his fault for gulpin' down the special one like that!"

"But what kind of idiot empties an ice cold bottle on some poor soul?"

"I think I am fine now, thank you" he finally spoke, making everyone gasp with relief.

"We thought you needed the hospital!" Ann exclaimed, a hand on her chest. "I mean, people _were_ starting to stare at us in a weird way…"

"No matter!" Ryuji completely changed topic with a triumphant grin. "Let's check out the other booths! Do you think you can come along, Akechi?"

The brown-haired boy nodded and followed the very excited group when he noticed Makoto was slowing down her pace to keep up with him.

"Hi" she said in a tiny voice and blushing slightly.

"Hey there."

"How are you feeling now?" she asked worried.

"My stomach still hurts a bit, but I'm fine" he replied.

"Yeah. By the way, try milk next time. Water doesn't really help with that" the girl suggested and then stopped by a random booth. When she extended one arm to analyze an ugly-looking sculpture of what he could only guess was supposed to be a dog, he noticed she was still wearing it.

"…the bracelet we got in Hawaii" he whispered.

"Yeah" she replied with a nostalgic smile. "I wear it all the time."

There was a short pause where Makoto kept studying the horrible sculpture, though Akechi was sure she wasn't really looking at it.

"What about yours?" she asked him, her tone slightly more aggressive. "I bet you never use it, do you?"

She then replaced the small sculpture back on its pedestal and went to join the rest of the group without another word.

Akechi sighed in defeat: no matter how strong his Personas were, or how popular and influential he was in the real world, he would never understand what was going on in a girl's mind.

* * *

Goro Akechi could barely contain his joy. That day he would be joining the Phantom Thieves, he just knew it! And the best part was that he would do it with Shido's blessing.

It was with a huge smile on his face that he began his panel at Shujin, with a sour-looking Makoto asking him questions she had previously written down on a piece of paper, as they both stood on a stage in front of the entire school. Akechi knew Shido must have someone in the audience to carefully listen to his words in case he slipped up, but he managed to stay in character. When he stated in front of dozens of people he knew the identity of the Phantom Thieves, everyone in the large room gasped and their faces lit up with curiosity and anticipation. Now it was time.

The fake phone called he had previously programmed together with Tamiko came at the right time, and he excused himself as well as gesturing for Makoto to gather everyone up and follow him somewhere safe. The eight friends escorted him to an office and locked the room behind them.

"Why did you say that?" Futaba asked him angrily as soon as they were alone. "You didn't need to tell the whole school you know our identities!"

Akechi didn't answer, but merely sent her a warning look. For all he knew, even walls there might be working for Shido…

"So" he ignored the red-haired girl entirely and continued. "It seems that what happened to Okumura-san has greatly affected your popularity."

"Indeed" Yusuke nodded gravely. "We have gone from being heroes to filthy villains…"

"But we can infiltrate Sae-san's Palace and clear our names, now right? That's what you wrote in that letter…" Ryuji said happily, only for his expression to turn into a confused one when both Akechi and Akira widened their eyes with fear.

"Can you keep your damn mouth shut for once, Ryuji?" Morgana reprimanded the blonde in a whisper. "Shido might be anywhere!"

"Ops, sorry!"

"Luckily we are safe" Akechi said after taking a nervous look around. "But yes, we can proceed with Shido's plan."

"Alright! Operation Sae Niijima! Ehm… no hard feelings, right Makoto?" Ryuji turned to the dark-haired girl with a concerned look, but Makoto shook her head. "Don't you worry, I will be fine."

* * *

"Show me that phone of yours, Mr. Detective" Futaba ordered Akechi as they stood outside the courthouse in Tokyo. The brown-haired boy lifted a brow and the hacker snorted. "Didn't you need that app for later?"

"Right" Akechi took his phone out of his pants pocket and passed it to Futaba, the girl snatching it out of his hands and instantly starting fumbling with the controls.

"By the way, Akechi-kun" Makoto turned to look at the detective. "It would be best if you shared your contact info with everyone else, not just me. From today, you are one of us after all."

"Already done, Mako-chan!" Futaba smirked triumphantly and tossed the phone back to Akechi. "I saved all our numbers on your SIM card."

"Ehm, thanks I guess?" Akechi blinked impressed.

"So" Morgana intervened. "We know her name, as well as the location. But what would her distortion be?"

"I often hear her call the courthouse a 'place of competition in which she must always win'" Makoto said seriously.

"Uhm, a competition means a match of some sort. Might it be a martial-arts ring?" Yusuke suggested, but when Akira tried it on the Nav app, the familiar dull voice responded with a " _Conditions have not been met_."

"Then… perhaps a stadium? Or maybe an arena?" Haru tried, but with no better luck.

"There are other competitions beside fighting and sports" Akechi said.

"Gambling, then!" Futaba butted in merrily, her smile vanishing instantly when she saw Makoto's face.

"It must be a casino" the red-eyed girl stated firmly. _"Candidate found. Beginning navigation._ "

When the nine friends turned to look at the courthouse, they couldn't quite tell whether they were still in real Tokyo or in the Metaverse, because their surroundings hadn't changed one bit with the sole exception of Morgana's appearance.

However, when they approached the courthouse they had their confirmation the Nav was working properly: the building had been replaced by a majestic casino, the bright lights blinding them as they came closer.

"Our attire hasn't changed. That must mean we aren't considered threats or hostiles yet…" Akechi mumbled as he observed each one of them.

"We will be very soon, though" Makoto sighed, and then eyed Akechi carefully. "By the way, you'll need a code name too."

"Huh?" Akechi furrowed an eyebrow at her. "…Code name? Oh, you mean how all of you avoid calling each other by your real name, right?"

"Yes" Makoto nodded. "I am pretty confident you know all of them already, but just in case… I am Queen, Akira's Joker, Morgana is Mona, Ryuji is Skull, Ann is Panther, Yusuke is Fox, Futaba is Oracle and Haru is Noir."

"Not too shabby" Akechi smiled.

"So, what would you like to be called?" Ann asked him.

"Uhm… how about… Raven?" he suggested.

"'Cause your clothes are all black, right?" Ryuji said with a knowing look.

"I might surprise you" the brown-haired boy smirked as the others gave him a quizzical look.

"What about Crow, then?" Makoto suggested.

"I like it" Akechi smiled brightly at her. "It has a nice sound to it."

"Then it's settled!"

"Now, since we can talk freely here in the Metaverse…" Akechi's expression suddenly turned much more serious. "I just wanted you all to know Shido has given me the task to get Joker arrested and killed by the 20th of November, which is our deadline to complete this Palace. However, we are _not_ going to steal Sae-san's heart, because she is a victim of circumstances Shido has chosen to get Joker trapped."

Everyone gasped at the revelation, but Akechi continued. "It is imperative that everyone put their trust in me. I know it can be tough given the horrible things I have done in the past, but believe me when I say I have abandoned all thoughts of killing Shido long time ago, when I met you guys…"

"Akechi…" someone whispered, but he shook his head. "Do you see the police station over there, just by the courthouse?"

Everyone looked in the direction he was pointing at and nodded. "What we are going to do is convince Shadow Sae to create a copy of the interrogation room where Joker will be brought. At that point, once back to reality, I need you, Joker, to tell the truth to Sae-san. You must gain her trust and, believe me, you won't have much time to do so. But I am confident you will manage. Once you're sure you can trust her enough, you must give her your phone and make her activate the Nav app shortly after I arrive to execute you. In doing so, a copy of you will be created in the interrogation room, and I can kill a puppet instead of the real Joker. At that point, Shido will believe you are finally eliminated and out of the game. That's when we're going to strike back…"

"Wow…" Ryuji whistled.

"So your plan is to create a copy of the interrogation room and kill a fake version of Joker. Sounds a lot like what you did with Noir's father" Morgana said, and Akechi nodded.

"Yes, that's where I took the idea…"

"But how are we going to know when Sae-san is supposed to activate the Nav app?" Futaba asked with a frown, then she widened her eyes in realization.

"Yes" Akechi smiled. "That's why I asked you to install that app on my phone. That way, you can track me down and Sae-san can activate the app from Joker's phone in order to create the copy exactly as she remembers it."

"That is freakin' genius!" Ryuji exclaimed impressed. "You're so clever you effin' scare me!"

"Thanks" Akechi chuckled. "However, we must all work together to ensure this plan goes to fruition. One mistake and we're all done for."

"Now" he continued determinately. "Shall we?"

Akira nodded with a proud smirk, and then placed a hand on his shoulder. "Welcome to the Phantom Thieves, Crow."

* * *

 **Yay, Akechi finally joins the PT's! :D**

 **I also wanted to point out the whole Okumura-plot thing. I tried to exploit the same method as Akira and the others use after infiltrating Sae-san's Palace by having her Shadow create a cognitive copy of the police station and of Akira before Akechi shoots him. The game leaves a lot of questions unanswered about the whole process, so I thought "why not having Shadow Okumura do the same?" After all, as long as a Trickster convinces the Shadow to create a copy of a real place they've been at, as well as copies of who they want to place inside it, this whole ordeal should be possible... Maybe my explanation is a bit weaker, but I hope it makes sense anyway.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and a biiig thank you all for the support you show me every time! Keep it up, guys, you make my day! :D**


	13. You Before Me

**I made it! Wrote this chapter in one day before work because I have been so incredibly busy lately :/ I apologize profusely if this chapter is a bit "meh", and I am not entirely satisfied with it either but I didn't want to end up simply summarizing Sae's Palace so I decided to type this instead... :) Also, I didn' have time to check for mistakes, so sowwie in advance x)**

 **Don't worry though, because I've got great plans for this :P**

* * *

It took a while for the Phantom Thieves to find a way inside the casino undiscovered. When Futaba spotted an entrance on top of the rooftop, the nine friends proceeded to climb all the way up and Joker forced the door open. Once inside, no one was particularly surprised to realize their uniforms had been replaced by their thief outfits. However, eight of them were utterly shocked when they turned to look at a figure dressed completely in white and with a red mask.

"Who the hell are you?!" Ryuji shouted, jumping backwards in surprise.

"Calm down, Skull. It's me, Crow" Akechi replied soothingly.

"No, no, no. Wait a minute" the blonde continued with a small smile as if he was trying to explain something complicated to a kid. " _You_ are supposed to be dressed in black."

"What if I told you" Akechi continued calmly, his eyes fixed on Skull from behind his mask "That, just like Joker, I had the power of the Wild Card?"

"Wild what?!"

"The ability to summon different Personas…" Morgana explained in awe as the cat's large eyes never diverted from Akechi. "Incredible…"

"Wait, you mean to say Crow can use various Personas too?!" Ann exclaimed, as shocked as the others. "You never told us that!"

"I wanted it to be a surprise" Akechi shrugged. "Besides, I doubt you'd want to see my other Persona…"

"Speak for yourself!" Skull said, but instantly fell silent when Akechi gave him a stern look.

"Trust me. You don't."

He automatically glanced sideways at Makoto, who was watching him quietly. However, even from behind her mask he could tell she was just as impressed as her teammates.

"Come on, guys. Let's do this" Akira suggested as he swiftly moved across the ceiling, the rest of the party following suit as they admired the people on the first floor chatting and gambling.

When they finally found a way to get downstairs without being spotted, they were met by none other than Shadow Sae herself, who seemed to have predicted their arrival. She acted nonchalantly around them, inviting them to join her to the upper floors for a chat before sending a group of Shadows their way and disappearing.

"The opponents are strong!" Futaba announced worriedly from above them as she scanned their weak points. "They pretty much resist anything but Bless skills…"

"I'm on it!" Akechi exclaimed with a wide smirk as he prepared to call forth his Persona. "Come, Robin Hood!"

The others had to shield their eyes from the bright light surrounding their latest teammate as a majestic creature made its glorious appearance. Akechi nodded and Robin shot forward, raising its bow and pointing it at the group of Shadows, which were instantly wiped out by the Persona's incredible power.

"Holy shiiiiit!" Ryuji was so impressed his jaws were almost touching the floor. "I'm happy you're on our side, dude!"

"True" Akira nodded proudly. "You could wipe us out in a matter of seconds."

"Eh, it's nothing special" Akechi rubbed the back of his neck with a shy smile. He then proceeded to examine the elevator at the center of the room.

"Uhm, it looks like we will be needing a member's card to access the upper floors" he said. "Why don't we retreat for now and gather our thoughts? We can come back tomorrow now that we know what to expect."

"Alright, let's get outta here!"

* * *

 _"_ _Your sister's Shadow seemed awfully confident, Mako-chan…"_

 _"_ _Indeed. There's no knowing what may await. Let's continue cautiously."_

 _"_ _Very well. You will let me know when you enter the Palace, right Joker?"_

 _"_ _Nah…"_

 _"_ _Come now, no need for hostility. I will simply have to come to Leblanc every day in that case…"_

 _"_ _THAT would be the end of me!"_

 _"_ _:P"_

Makoto smiled as she read the messages Akechi and Akira exchanged: they were always like that, mocking and making fun of each other without ever taking it seriously. Even during their short stay in her sister's Palace, she could ascertain with joy Akechi didn't seem to have any troubles cooperating with them all and learning teamwork, despite having operated all by himself for all those years…

And the fact that such a pure side of him could be found gave her even more hope: whatever she was expecting definitely left her baffled when Akechi's uniform had turned into those candid white princely garbs. And Robin Hood, too… That basically proved there was a side of him which was prone to justice and innocence…

But the fact he was a Wild Card with a much darker side remained. He had been right: she did _not_ want to see his other self, as well as the Persona with the power to turn Shadows psychotic. She could only imagine what it looked like…

 _"_ _How about a little detour, btw?"_

Makoto's thoughts about Akechi were interrupted by Akira sending a new message.

 _"_ _What? You wanna go to the arcade or som'ing? 'Cause I'm tooootally game!"_

 _"_ _No. Mishima sent another message with a target in Mementos. Should be a nice change of pace."_

 _"_ _Ain't nobody got time for that!"_

 _"_ _It looks bad, actually… And we do have lots of time to complete Sae-san's Palace."_

 _"_ _Alright, alright! You're the boss after all."_

* * *

Akechi had to re-read Akira's message multiple times, and was pretty sure the boy had misspelled something. However, the others seemed to know exactly what he was talking about. But what were Mementos? And should he ask about it?

He thought that, for safety reasons, he could leave the matter be for the moment and get ready to head to Yongen-Jaya as established with the rest of his friends. He could always ask once there.

When he arrived almost an hour later, panting as he waved at Sakura-san and climbed the stairs to Akira's attic, the eight teammates were already there munching on snacks and apparently getting bored.

"About time, detective man" Futaba said "You kept us waiting."

"Sorry!" he muttered disconsolately. "I missed the train and it's Sunday today, so they don't go as often…"

"Aaanyway" Futaba decided to ignore Akechi's apology and continued. "Ready to take down the target? Akechi, you missed our briefing, so you will have to get a short summary once we're in."

"Ehm, sure" the boy agreed as Akira fumbled with his phone. Mere seconds after, and he found himself standing in what looked like Tokyo's subway. A very creepy version of it.

"What is this place?!" he exclaimed surprised, his voice much louder than he had anticipated, and everyone glanced at him.

"What?" Yusuke asked. "Never been here before?"

"To be one hundred percent honest with you, no…" Akechi confessed as he looked around.

"Wow" Ann whistled. "And to think you are supposed to be much more experienced than us."

"C'mon, Lady Ann" Morgana defended him. "If it weren't for me, you'd have no idea either."

"That is true…"

"Anyway" Akira intervened. "This place is called Mementos, and as you can see it resembles Tokyo's subway system. This is where the public's distorted desires manifest. Kinda like a collective Palace, and you can find different kinds of Shadows as well as more powerful ones belonging to people whose distortions are starting to prevail and turn into a larger Palace."

"I see…" Akechi whispered impressed. "Clever…"

"Should we get going already?" Morgana pressed them. "If we keep standing here, the Reaper will find us!"

"The Reaper…?" Akechi was getting more and more confused, but Akira simply dragged him along.

"It's a very powerful Shadow. Mona says that even all of us joining forces wouldn't be enough to take the guy down. And I honestly don't wanna be around to find out."

"But hey!" Akechi called after his friend. "This place is huge! How do we know where to go?"

"No worries, I'm on it!" Futaba winked at him and activated her Persona's power to scan the area and locate their target.

Akechi watched the monitor and just realized how incredibly vast that place was. After all, he did imagine that a special place like that, needing to store the whole public's desires, needed to be immense…

"Found him!" Futaba smirked and tapped on the monitor to drag the location onto the map.

"Come aboard then!" Morgana exclaimed merrily and, to Akechi's surprise, the cat turned into a van.

"What the actual f…?"

"Don't drop the eff bomb, Akechi! That's my job" Ryuji mocked him before hopping on board.

"Surprised?" Makoto was apparently having the time of her life watching him learn so many new things as a proper newbie. "We're not that bad after all, huh?"

"No…" he muttered impressed. "You're not…"

* * *

The freaking old man had just turned into a powerful Shadow right in front of their eyes after losing it. And it kept throwing deadly attacks their way. He seemed to be particularly angry at Makoto, for some reason…

"Die! Die! Die!" the Shadow was screaming madly as he kept swinging its blade as well as occasionally using its special powers.

Makoto hadn't seen the wave of bright blue light coming her way, and she widened her eyes as it approached her fast, too fast for her to move away now…

When she closed her eyes, ready to feel the burning pain all over her body, she was surprised to find herself standing safely in the same spot as a few minutes before. An invisible shield was dancing around her, and the Shadow seemed to be focusing on Akechi now.

"You owe me one, Queen!" he yelled at her with a large grin as he dodged yet another attack with grace, and then countered with his saber sword.

"I gotta admit" Ryuji came running by her side to check up on her. "The guy is damn strong!"

"What did you expect?" Akira smirked as he watched his friend mock the Shadow.

"Now, enough with the horseplay!" Akechi announced excitedly as he summoned Robin. "Show him a lesson!"

Akechi's hands went to cover his mask as he summoned enough energies to send one last blast of Light against the Shadow.

"Dammit!" the Shadow muttered as it knelt down and turned back into the old man it was before. "I give up, you win…"

"Y'know what, Crow?" Ryuji rested one arm on his shoulder and smirked. "You could basically take care of this crap all by yourself!"

"Nah" the other boy retorted. "I'm done working alone."

"C'mon, let' go!" Ann was already on her way back to the entrance, but Ryuji shouted after her. "Wait! Why don't we show Crow around? He's never been here before, after all!"

"Huh?" Ann turned to glance at him and then at Akira. "What do you say, Joker?"

"Dunno, same for me. Do you feel like it, Crow?" Akira was speaking directly to him now, and the boy with the red mask nodded enthusiastically. "It'd be fun to discover more!"

"Yeah, let's just remember to prioritize Sae-san's Palace. And that we cannot go any deeper than what we've already explored" Morgana warned, but the eight friends were already sprinting around a corner. "Meh…"

Akechi had to admit he was having a blast taking down Shadows together with the Phantom Thieves. It was so much fun to experiment new moves and combine them with those of his teammates, he could barely believe he had been exploring the Metaverse all by himself for three years. This was totally new to him, and utterly exciting. Furthermore, it made him feel vital whenever one of them praised his natural fighting skills and his agility. They worked so well together and felt so invincible they barely realized they had reached the deepest level available to them so far. The stairs leading down to other levels were currently barred by a solid wall they couldn't cross.

"Well, this is as far as we can go…" Morgana announced sadly. "But I guess it's getting late anyway."

"Wow, it is!" Ann exclaimed when she checked her smartphone. "We have school tomorrow morning!"

"Let's head back" Yusuke suggested, the blue-haired boy moving towards the staircases followed by the others. Just as Makoto, Akechi, Akira and Morgana were moving to keep up with the others, a roaring sound could be heard all around them as a giant ooze literally jumped towards them and landed at the center of the platform they were currently standing on. With one swift move, the ooze-looking Shadow hit the four friends, sending them to fly in different directions.

The only thing Akechi was aware of was the yelling of the others who had safely made it to the other side and were currently screaming their names, as well as an intense pain shooting through his body after landing hard on the floor.

He slowly opened his eyes, trying to have them focus on his surroundings until he finally spotted Morgana hanging motionless from a sign high up on the wall, Joker was trying his best to get back up on his feet as if in slow-motion, and Makoto was lying a few feet away from him.

Akechi was desperately trying to move, but his body had decided to turn completely lazy and disobedient. The only thing he could do was watch Akira stare right back at him, the dark-haired boy widening his eyes in horror as he shifted his gaze from Akechi, to Makoto and then to a specific spot somewhere behind him.

"GET OUTTA THERE, YOU TWO!" Akira yelled, just as Akechi –who had finally managed to gain control over his body- turned to see what was freaking Joker out so much. And then he realized it: they were lying flat onto the tracks, and a train could be heard approaching.

Akechi hardly got back on his feet, advancing towards Makoto and ignoring the pain he felt, with the girl lying face down in the middle of the tracks. The brown-haired boy bent down and lifted her up with the last energies he had, grunting loudly in the process. A red light was flashing behind him as the sound of a train whistling as well as his teammates screaming rang through his ears. He didn't have time or the energies to run back to the platform with Makoto. He didn't have any choice but to jump into the darkness below.

"I'll take her to safety" he managed to whisper loud enough for Akira to hear him, then sighed as he let himself and Makoto fall backwards and into the nothingness.

* * *

"Crow…? Crow…! AKECHI-KUN!"

He finally opened his eyes and all he could see was his own reflection mirrored in deep red eyes. He groggily scanned the face of the girl bent over him, worry written all over it.

"Yes, it worked! Oh, thank god!" the girl was whispering gratefully and Akechi realized she was muttering her thanks to Johanna, her Persona. He could only guess the girl had asked the creature to use its healing powers on his wounds.

"What happened?" he blurted out as he sat up. His body still ached, but he could move freely now.

"No idea. When I came to, we were both lying down here. Last thing I remember is being hit by that monster that came out of nowhere…" the girl explained and bit her lip.

"Right" Akechi stood up with her help and then flattened his white jacket, which had now partly turned a dark shade of grey. "We landed on the train tracks, and the only way to get out alive before being mangled by a train was jumping down here."

"You… took me and jumped?" the girl asked wide-eyed. "We could've died!"

"What else could I do?" he retorted. "We would've died anyway…"

"You could have… I don't know… summoned Robin or something!" she was raising her voice, but he was sure it had nothing to do with the choice he had taken. If he had to guess, she was worried for her friends, as well as hating the fact to be lost in some creepy alternative world where everything around them was pitch black.

"I don't think that would've helped. My Personas can't fly or possess any abilities which could have taken us out of that unpleasant situation. But I offer you my apologies anyway" he resolved to say politely, and she glanced at him. "No… I should be the one apologizing. I am overreacting and you did save me, I guess. Twice today…"

"I suppose we are quite even now" he smiled to her in the dim-light emitted by her Persona. "Johanna did heal me up."

"That was nothing" she shook her head stubbornly. "You weren't badly hurt. We just fixed some scratches and bruises. Had it been worse, I don't think we could've been of much help."

"No matter" he said softly. "Let us find a way out of here."

"I have no idea where we are" Makoto replied, fear evident in her voice. "And even if I did, Mementos change every time you leave an area and return."

"What?!" Akechi was actually negatively surprised to hear that. "This is a problem…"

"Akechi-kun" Makoto whispered. "I am seriously afraid now… What if _he_ finds us?"

"Who?" he asked with a frown, but then realized she was talking about that Shadow…

"The Reaper" she confirmed his theory and nervously glanced around to make sure no one else was there.

"Let's just go" he suggested. He obviously had no idea how powerful this Reaper was, nor what it looked like. But judging by what he had been told about it, he would very much prefer to avoid conflict. "Robin."

His Persona appeared right in front of their eyes, his holy light much brighter than Makoto's creature. "Can you light us the way?"

Robin floated a couple of feet in front of them, illuminating the dark walls of the tunnels. None of them had the slightest idea where they were going, because they couldn't use a map and because the place looked the same over and over again. They also thought it would be best not to scream for help, in case their voices attracted powerful Shadows, and so they kept walking in hope to find the exit.

"…another dead-end" Makoto announced downhearted as she blankly stared at the fenced wall in front of her. "Are we seriously stuck here forever?"

Akechi didn't know how to comfort her: after all, it had been his decision to jump into the depths of the tunnels, and it was therefore his fault they were going to wander around the place until they dropped dead, their skeletons a dark reminder to whomever dared to proceed further.

Makoto fell to her knees, falling victim to fatigue and hunger as she muttered something about "being trapped for the rest of their lives." The sight made him immensely sad, but no matter how hard he thought of a way out, he couldn't find anything intelligent or comforting to say. He then knelt by her side and did the only thing that felt natural to him: he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to his chest. He was only barely aware of the fact he was muttering apologies into her ear as he stroked her hair in a feeble attempt to calm her down. At least she was not pushing him away. On the contrary, it seemed to him the girl was breathing more regularly now…

"Listen to me" he said, cupping her face so she was forced to look at him in the eye. "We are getting out of here. Alive." She pursed her lips and then nodded firmly, her expression much more determined. He gently pulled her wrist and she stood back up on her feet. He made sure to guide her through the tunnels without ever letting go of her hand. It was utterly unnecessary, he knew it, because the girl would never dream of leaving his side as well as the only source of light which was Robin, but he felt braver by doing so.

"Akechi-kun" she whispered suddenly and stopped walking, forcing him and Robin to do the same.

"What is it, Makoto-chan?"

"Do you hear it, too?"

Akechi strained his ears and concentrated on any uncommon sound until he could definitely tell the sound of something like chains being dragged onto the ground was heading their way.

"What's that?" he asked mostly to himself as he tried to locate the source of it, but Makoto seemed to have frozen entirely.

"My gosh…" her voice sounded broken and desperate. "It's _him_!"

Akechi looked right ahead and could indeed see a reddish aura turning the corner, until a tall and hooded figure, carrying two long pistols and with chains hanging loosely from its body, was standing in front of them, almost as if judging them.

There was a short pause, which he would have considered comical in other circumstances, as they all studied each other. Then, the Reaper fired its guns in the air as the cracking sound of large bullets piercing the ceiling above echoed throughout the hollow tunnels.

Akechi knew they had nowhere to run, and he could sense the Shadow was extraordinarily powerful unlike any he had ever encountered. Morgana had not been joking: the damn thing was a formidable foe, and he doubted even Loki could take it down by itself…

But he could buy Makoto some time…

"Run, Queen" he ordered her assertively. The girl simply stared at him with her mouth open.

"I'm not leaving you behind!"

"Then we will all die! The others need you!" he told her more firmly.

"They need you too! Let's… let's run together!"

There was no time to discuss: the Reaper was approaching him quickly, its invisible face the only thing in his line of sight. Akechi forcefully grabbed Makoto and pushed her out of their way while Robin instantly teleported in front of him and somehow managed to shield its master from the deadly attack.

"Robin, help her!" he commanded desperately when he noticed the Reaper had now targeted the defenseless girl. Robin Hood nodded and materialized its invisible shield over Makoto, who was screaming madly with fear.

"Dammit!" Akechi cursed through gritted teeth. He needed a plan! He frantically scanned the narrow tunnel they were stuck in until an idea crossed his mind.

"Hey Reaper!" he shouted as the ghostly Shadow turned to him. Akechi took out his gun and fired away, the monster barely flinching at the hits. He was ready to bet he wasn't even scratching it, but at least he would get its attention. And its rage.

When the Shadow began floating towards him preparing to strike, Akechi rolled to the side and called Robin. "Smash that ceiling!"

He pointed at a spot above them which looked particularly fragile and about to collapse and, with one firm nod, Robin sent a wave of Almighty power until all Akechi could see were falling rocks. Hoping with all his heart he hadn't just trapped Makoto in a tunnel with no way to escape, he turned to run the opposite direction to force the Reaper to follow him and leave the girl alone. He could still hear her screams of desperation as well as his name being shouted with such force he was sure her vocal cords would rip. His heart ached terribly whenever she screamed his name as her voice became fainter with every step he took towards the opposite direction but he didn't stop.

He kept running and turning corners, and down some steps and then up until he could no longer sense the Reaper's presence behind him. He collapsed onto his knees trying to catch his breath as Robin faithfully stood by him, the only light in a sea of darkness.

"We need to get out of here, Robin" he said panting. "We're not going to die here, are we?"

The creature stared down at him and shook its head with a smile.

Akechi got back up and carefully analyzed the surroundings, advancing with Robin who lit the way for him. When they arrived at the end of the long tunnel Akechi felt possibly more desperate and hopeless than ever: wherever he turned the road was blocked my debris and boulders. There was no way out, and he had just barred the only other exit when he decided to save Makoto from the Reaper. At least that meant that, wherever she was, she was most likely proceeding towards an exit. As for the Reaper, he was sure it could vanish into thin air and reappear somewhere else as it pleased, just like any other Shadow.

"Well Robin" he said with a bitter smile as he sat down. "At least I did something good before dying…"

Robin Hood was watching him almost pitifully as he spoke until its master fell silent. Akechi was forcing himself to forget about his current situation when Robin poked him on the head and then pointed at the wall of debris behind him.

"Uh?" Akechi furrowed his brows as he watched his Persona. "You want to try and break through? Well go ahead, but I am sure it won't work."

Robin used all of its melee and special attacks to create a path but to no avail. However, Akechi could indeed feel a light breeze coming from the other side of the wall…

"Wait a minute…" he said. "Robin, do you mind if I let Loki take over?"

His Persona of Light shook its head and disappeared as Akechi gathered his energies to summon Loki. The dark creature appeared moments later, floating in the air as if bored. "Loki, I need you to try and take down that wall."

Akechi wouldn't simply watch: he would use his sharp, red sword to cut through the rocks as well. He wasn't sure how long they had been standing in that same spot, with the boy at the last of his stamina as he lent part of it to his Persona to keep working.

"Dammit, we are so close…!" he exclaimed frustrated. Loki stopped and turned the opposite direction to look at whatever was behind them. When Akechi did the same, he saw it again: the red aura coming closer and closer, and he had nowhere to hide.

"Of course" he muttered angrily. "The icing on the cake… oh!"

He thought of a sudden as well as an incredibly dangerous idea as the Reaper approached him again, its thirst for blood drawing him closer. He may die if this proved to be a failure, but wouldn't he anyway?

"Loki" Akechi smirked malevolently. "Make that bastard do the leg work for us!"

His Persona knew exactly what he meant as its eyes flashed red. The two creatures met halfway, with the Reaper lifting its guns to target Loki, but the latter was faster. The Reaper stopped mid-action, floating motionless until it went totally berserk. With one silent scream as it bucked its hooded head backwards, the creature charged right towards Akechi as the boy rolled to the side just in time until the Reaper clashed against the wall, shooting madly all around it at invisible targets.

"For crying out loud!" Akechi yelled as he tried to find shelter behind the fallen boulders. Everything around him was shaking violently as the Reaper kept shooting and sending shockwaves of energy in all directions, clouds of dust dancing in front of his eyes and obscuring his sight. Akechi was aware of one last blasting sound until his ears started ringing and everything he could see was a bright reddish light. The wind was blowing from the same direction as the source of light, and Akechi knew his plan had worked: the crazed Shadow had dug up a way out and he was making a run for it before the creature could find him and kill him. He was slowly regaining the ability to hear properly as he kept running, his vision clearing with every step he took and his heart swelling with hope as he realized he was back on the train tracks. He could only hope Loki had managed to disappear before the Reaper could attack him as he ran up a flight of stairs and onto a platform. He completely ignored the weaker Shadows lurking around, the stupid creatures running away when they sensed his powerful aura approaching, and after what felt like ages he was climbing the last stairs leading to the very first floor of the damn place. The faint chattering coming from upstairs told him he had somehow made it: now all he hoped was that Makoto had been as lucky as him. Before emerging into the light, he made sure his black and purple-striped outfit was changed into his white one.

"CROW!"

"For eff's sake dude, you scared the shit outta us!"

"Are you alright?!"

He stopped to scan the faces of the people he cared for the most: his teammates. His friends. He smiled broadly as he nodded reassuringly before his face turned worried again. "W-what about Queen?"

There was a moment of silence in which he was fearing the worst, almost expecting one of them to tell him she never made it out. His back was almost completely turned to go back downstairs and look for her when he heard her.

"You're NOT going back there alone, Crow!"

He stopped in his tracks and turned to see her: she had removed her mask and was giving him a hard look. "Unless you have a strong desire to get killed."

He had no idea what to say: the only thing he was aware of was the fact his heart seemed to have doubled in size as hope and relief filled every inch of the tiny organ.

"Y-you… you're alright" he whispered incredulous.

"Thanks to someone who is completely and utterly nuts" she replied sternly. Then she smiled broadly at his concerned face as well as the fact that he seemed to be rooted to the spot. She strode towards him, her eyes softening and then threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him in a tight hug. Akechi was so shocked he could barely move as a chorus of "awww" came from his teammates.

"All's well that ends well!" Haru said, wiping a tear from her eye.

"You two really got us worried there" Ann nodded.

"W-what about me, Lady Ann?" Morgana was looking up at Ann with large, hopeful eyes.

"You and Joker too. But at least you were in the same room as us, and we could help you with our Personas."

Only then did Makoto let go of him and chuckled at his flushed face before turning to her teammates. "Right. What happened to that monster?"

"Oh, it looked big and scary but it was actually a piece of cake to take it down!" Ryuji explained proudly. "Though I have to say, I'm quite grateful Joker was there too…"

"I still don't understand where the heck you two ended up in" Futaba was thinking so hard they could almost see the cogs in her head working. "Not even my Persona's power could locate you."

"Right. Since we were on the last possible platform we could access, what can we assume it happened when Crow jumped down with Queen?" Yusuke joined the debate, clearly expecting an answer from Morgana, but the cat shook his head sadly.

"I am afraid I have no idea. It should not be possible to access the other floors without the public's cognition changing first. We can almost say Crow _cheated_ by jumping down. However, I highly doubt he and Queen actually got access to the other levels…"

"It's true" Makoto confirmed. "We were in these narrow tunnels with low ceiling, and everything was pitch dark. We had to use our Personas to be able to see where we were going. I can guarantee that, wherever we were, it most definitely was not the typical Mementos we normally explore. To me it looked more like… mines, or something."

"This place sure is mysterious" Morgana continued. "But Crow, how did you manage to escape?"

"I…" Akechi trailed off as he diverted his eyes. Was he supposed to tell the truth and reveal he had driven the Reaper mad? Or should he lie? Either way, he knew that they would eventually discover the truth, and it was getting steadily more difficult to lie to his friends. "I was stuck in a tunnel with nothing but dead-ends. So I used my other Persona to drive the Reaper berserk and use its extraordinary strength to get us out of there."

"My gosh…" Morgana shook his head. "I am not sure what happens to a Shadow when it goes psychotic, but now we _really_ must be careful in case we meet the guy. It can tear us apart in a matter of seconds…"

"I'm sorry…" Akechi whispered, but the others simply patted him on the shoulder and complimented him for his bravery.

"How did you manage to escape?" he asked Queen as the others took a moment to recover from the eventful day.

"When you made the ceiling collapse and ran away with the Reaper, I stayed behind to try and find a way through to you. But even with Johanna, I could barely move a rock so I had no choice but to follow the only available path we were originally supposed to walk on. It turns out it led all the way uphill and to a rusty door. It was obviously locked, but the others were on the opposite side of the door and heard me call for help. The ooze they had defeated apparently dropped the key to that door and they set me free" she explained as a new wave of sadness washed over her. "I was _so_ worried about you…"

"I am sorry" he smiled tenderly. "But remember I will never go down without a fight."

"Right" she mustered a smile and looked at him. "But still, what you did for me back there… I will never forget it…"

* * *

Waking up at 6 AM and going to school after the events of the previous day was probably worse than what he had been through. He kept reminding himself he should be grateful he was alive, as well as all the others, but he still ached everywhere. If that was not enough, his schoolmates kept staring at him and whispering to each other, obviously wondering how he had gotten all the scratches and bruises adorning his body. Of course, Makoto and Johanna had tried their best and fixed the worst, but after the encounter with a berserk Reaper he had earned some more.

"Akechi-kun, were you in a fight?" a girl neighboring his desk asked him worriedly.

"Uhm" he smiled awkwardly. "No, I just fell hehe. I can be so clumsy at times!"

The buzzing from his phone saved him from some more unnecessary questions from his classmates as he unlocked it and read the messages.

 _"_ _Crow, how're you doing? Are you up to exploring some more of Sae-san's Palace today, or do you need to rest some more?"_

Akechi smiled as he read Akira's message, for he could tell his friend was genuinely worried about him.

 _"_ _I'm a bit beaten, but I can join. By the way, didn't you say you would never let me know when to infiltrate? :O"_

 _"_ _Crap, you're right! D:"_

He pocketed his phone as his teacher entered the classroom for the last lesson of the day. He could barely wait until the bell rang: he was starving, and was hoping to drop by Tamiko-chan's place for a free bite and a small chat before meeting up with the others.

One hour later, he was finally packing his things as he quickly ran to the subway and rode a train all the way to Shibuya, where he got changed into his usual hoodie and walked to Tamiko's apartment. The girl opened the door without even bothering to say hello, her hair sticking in every direction as she returned to her seat to finish a complicated-looking article.

"How's school going?" he asked amiably as he dropped his bag onto the floor and sat on the sofa. He turned on the TV but made sure to mute it in order not to disturb the girl's work.

"It's going" she shrugged. "Would be much easier if I didn't have to feed a vegetable as well as work for a criminal."

"True" he said with a smile. "You can always quit."

She didn't answer. Of course she didn't, because he knew she didn't want to quit.

"What're you doing later today?" she asked after a long pause, during which she managed to write some more lines and he constantly changed channels on TV until he resolved to watch cartoons.

"Meeting up with the others" he replied nonchalantly. "Ah c'mon! This is the same episode as last week!" She snorted angrily.

"What's for dinner?" he asked, now fully lying on her sofa.

"Really, Akechi-kun? Really?!" she slammed the pen on the table and gave him an exasperated look. "You show up at my place after a whole year with a man who's supposed to be dead after YOU killed him, give me a life-risking task, chill on my sofa, eat my food and treat me like your slave! And all you can ask me is what's for dinner?! Are you for real?"

Akechi listened in shock as the girl shouted at him, causing Okumura to whine again from the other room. "I tell you what, Goro Akechi. I am done with this life! So you'd better find another place for your friend there. I don't want him around anymore. And I don't want _you_ around anymore!"

And, with that, the girl gathered her school things and locked herself in her bedroom, making sure to slam the door behind.

* * *

It was with heavy heart he met up with the Phantom Thieves later that day. He had made sure to order some food delivery for Tamiko, and then he had left her apartment to grab a sandwich somewhere as he thought of a place where he could safely keep Okumura-san. So far, he hadn't made any progress.

"You OK, Crow?" Akira asked him when the brown-haired boy failed to answer his questions for the umpteenth time. "Are you not feeling well?"

"Dude, if you're still shaken after yesterday, we totally get it. Go home" Ryuji intervened, but Akechi shook his head and smiled. "I am a bit tired, but I will manage. Please, don't worry about me."

"Good, 'cause we would totally proceed even without you Crow" Futaba butted in merrily before encouraging Akira to activate the app. The dark-haired boy sighed and tapped on the screen as everyone patiently waited until they were sure to be in the Metaverse.

As soon as their clothes had shifted, they all quickly returned to the elevator in the middle of the hall, circumnavigated it and proceeded further after finding a backdoor.

It took them at least one hour to reach a control room protected by a large Shadow which looked different from all the others. However, their powers combined were too much for it and the creature quickly succumbed as it dropped some cards onto the floor and disappeared.

"Ain't those member cards?" Ryuji was eying them curiously as Futaba picked them up and examined them. The hacker hummed dreamily, completely ignoring her friends' questions until she handed a card to Joker, explaining she had used a fake name to register it in order for them to gain coins throughout the Palace.

"Taro Tanaka? Really, Oracle?" Ryuji palmed his face. "That's like… the most common name in Japan!"

"Umph!" the red-haired girl pouted and returned to the computers to register a new card, giving the old one to Akechi. "Get rid of it, newbie."

Akechi sighed sadly as he nodded. However, when the others turned to leave he pocketed the card and hurried up to catch up with the rest.

With Futaba's card, they could finally reach the floor above them but they apparently needed to play by Shadow Sae's rules and gamble their way through her Palace by winning coins in order to proceed.

When a Shadow dealer informed them with a sly smirk they were required to collect fifty thousand coins to obtain a new card, everyone but Akechi gasped in shock.

"Fifty thousand coins?!" Yusuke exclaimed. "Can you believe how much food I could buy with that money?"

"We also allow players to borrow coins" the dealer chuckled "Up to the current total on their card."

"Ain't gonna do that!" Ryuji retorted angrily, as the Shadow snickered at him.

"Guys" Akechi gestured for them to follow him somewhere quieter. "Our options are slots and dice. It would not surprise me in the least if they were rigged somehow. After all, we know Sae-san is quite particular about winning here. To compound that, defendants in Japan are prosecuted at a rate of 99,9%. Victory is nigh unattainable."

"What?! How's that possible? Are all those verdicts the correct ones?" Ann asked the brown-haired boy, who smiled bitterly in return.

"Not exactly. The investigators are human too, after all. Besides, you are not the first to point out the rigged nature of this system. The prosecution is near unbeatable."

"That's _so_ not fair!" Ryuji was fuming with anger, but Akechi shook his head. "That's how it is. For the moment."

When they decided to give the dice game a try, they got their confirmation: winning was impossible no matter how many times they tried and, soon enough, they lost all the bonus coins the Shadow dealer had given them.

"Told you" Akechi shrugged as he took a look around. "They must be using a terminal of some sorts to cheat. If we find it, we may be able to win this."

"You find the terminal, I crack it up!" Futaba announced jovially and everyone nodded.

Moving around the casino, even if they were using alternative routes, proved to be quite complicated as security level was high, but they eventually found a room with the terminal they were looking for.

"Wait a minute, Oracle" Akechi stopped the hacker before she could travel to her own world of coding and numbers. "You can use the equipment here to our advantage to rig the game in our favor."

"Leave it to me!"

It took a few minutes for Futaba to reprogram the machine and, when the party returned to the dice game room to try again, they finally won tons of coins. They left the room before raising suspicions, but the others were eying the sachet of coins discouraged. "We still need a lot before we can gain access to the next floor."

"Don't you worry, I've thought of that too" Akechi smiled reassuringly. "Skull, come with me."

Everyone watched as Skull followed a very satisfied-looking Akechi disappear, returning shortly after with a cart full of coins.

"We've still got a long way to go, though. Let's try the slot machines, though I am quite confident they are rigged too…"

"Seems like you are enjoying this" Makoto told him with a smirk as the others walked in front of them.

"Well, you know…" he chuckled softly. "This is not the typical Palace in which you are only required to use brute force. There is a lot of thinking to do, and I like it."

"I have to say" she continued. "I am very impressed. I thought you were a fake detective and were only exploiting your powers to gain popularity in the real world. However, after seeing you in action I must take it all back. You _are_ exceptionally clever and talented. I am almost envious…"

"You think so?" he asked, and she nodded brightly. "Hehe, and to think I haven't even started yet."

* * *

He had been right: he hadn't even started yet, nor had she been lying to him when she confessed being envious of his intelligence. Thanks to his elaborate plan, they had collected fifty thousand coins and exchanged them for the new member card before returning to the real world for a break.

Despite feeling tired after a long day at school and in her sister's Palace, Makoto had decided to accept Ann's invitation to drink a cup of coffee together that evening and the two girls were now sitting inside a cozy café, enjoying the warmth provided by the liquid in stark contrast with the cold rain tapping on the window outside.

"Crow is quite promising, isn't he?" Ann was saying merrily. "Thanks to him, we are halfway through!"

Makoto nodded in agreement and took another sip of her coffee.

"And he is an exceptionally good fighter too, I mean... wait, what's that?"

Ann's tone suddenly changed from very excited to curious as she eyed Makoto's right wrist.

"Uh?" the dark-haired girl's eyes fell on the bracelet she wore at all times and blushed. "Ehm..."

"It's _sooooo_ beautiful! Where did you buy it?" the blonde asked as she grabbed her wrist to examine the bracelet better.

"Actually, I didn't buy it..."

"What? You stole it?!"

Makoto blushed even more furiously as she shushed her friend and looked around to make sure no one was looking at them suspiciously. "Are you trying to get me in trouble? Of course I didn't steal it!"

"Sorry! But then...?"

Makoto sighed before replying resigned. "Akechi-kun bought it for me back in Hawaii..."

"WHAT?!"

The few customers in the locale finally tore their gaze from their coffees to send an annoyed look in their general direction, however Ann didn't seem to care. "Akechi bought you a bracelet? What's going on between you two?"

"Nothing!" Makoto said hurriedly. "We are... friends!"

"Yeah, that's why he bought bracelets to everyone!" Ann mocked her with a snort. "Wait a second... _that dream_!"

Makoto froze in her seat as Ann eyed her suspiciously. "Makoto..."

"Don't you dare say it!" Makoto warned her friend. "I do _not_ like Akechi-kun in that way..."

"That's why you're as red as it can get" Ann replied amused. "And it would explain why you two are always walking side by side and whispering in each other's ears all the time. Is he sweet?"

"Stop it!" Makoto was so embarrassed all she wanted was disappear. Why hadn't she simply lied about the bracelet? "We... it's not what it looks like!"

"Alright then" Ann continued calmly. "Then say it. Seriously. Say you only consider him a friend and nothing more."

Makoto swallowed hard as she eyed her friend, her heart beating out of control. "I..."

"Mako-chan" Ann smiled tenderly at her. "You don't need to lie to yourself. There is nothing wrong with liking someone! And I swear I will keep my mouth shut, nor will I judge you."

Makoto diverted her eyes and looked the other way. The fact she wasn't able to tell Ann she considered Akechi a friend only was enough of a confirmation for her.

"Ann..." the dark-haired girl shook her head sadly. "Remember what he has done... How can I feel something for a person like him?"

"Mako-chan, you don't get to choose who you will fall in love with. It is beyond your control. It just happens..." Ann said sweetly. "Besides, he has been through hell for us. And for you."

"What do you mean?" Makoto returned to look at her friend curiously.

"He is risking his life to save us all. He almost died in Mementos to save your life. How many people in the entire world would do that for their friends?"

"You guys would..." Makoto said with a sigh, but Ann shook her head.

"A person like Akechi, who would do anything to reach his goal -even sacrifice others- who suddenly put your life before his in order to save you. That means something, you know..."

Makoto lifted her gaze with hopeful eyes. "Do you mean to say he... he may feel the same for me?"

"I believe so" the blonde nodded enthusiastically. "We know what he is capable of. If he didn't care for you, he would most certainly not risk his precious life for yours."

Makoto fell silent as she processed her friend's words: could she be right about him? And yet, she had her doubts: he was extremely handsome, intelligent and popular. He could have any girl he wanted...

"Now" Ann continued with a beaming smile and clapped her hands. "Did you guys kiss?"

"ANN!" Makoto was so shocked she was raising her voice out of control, causing people around them to mutter angrily. Her chest, however, seemed to be on the verge of exploding so potent were her feelings whenever she thought of how close he had been to her at times, like that night after Okumura collapsed on TV or in Mementos when he had hugged her tightly on his own accord...

"Eh, just kidding!" Ann then glanced at her for a moment before continuing. "Not even on the cheek?"

Makoto rolled her eyes exasperated: she was going to regret confessing her feelings for Akechi to Ann.

* * *

 **LOL, Ann can be a bit annoying :P And Goro seems to have successfully stolen Makoto's heart 3**

 **BTW, about the Reaper going berserk in this chapter: I thought that, since this Shadow can get affected by the flu in the game, why not having it go mad when Loki uses its powers on it? : Oh, and I like to think Shadows don't have a specific gender -despite being clearly male or female in the game, but without you knowing who they actually belong to- which is why I use the pronoun "it".**

 **I hope I will be able to write a particular scene I've had on my mind for a long while in next chapter, so I will get to work straight away!**

 **Hope you enjoyed this anyway, and see you all amazing people next week! ^O^**

 **P.S. Am I the only one to think that Goro's red mask is a warning about his true self? Its long nose reminds me of Pinocchio, which could imply he is lying. Just a theory, but I thought it was funny :D**


	14. Hopelessly I Fight

**Missed me? 'Cause I sure missed all of you! My excuse this time is that I've been having some issues with my PC and needed to get it repaired, so I had to wait a little before getting it back. Plus, I am suuuuper busy! However, a lot happens in this chapter which is also why it has so many short paragraphs. Eeeenjoy!**

* * *

Another week had passed and Goro Akechi found himself walking nervously toward Tamiko's apartment once again only to stop outside her door, sigh in defeat and return home. He would do it every day right after school and before meeting up with Akira and the others at their hideout at LeBlanc.

He knew he couldn't do much to convince her to forgive him, and he still hadn't mustered the courage to knock on her door or leave her a message in the post box. She _had_ seemed fed up with him, however he was very thankful for the fact she hadn't kicked poor Okumura out yet. For he hadn't yet found a new place for him to stay at, and his own apartment was out of discussion.

At least he could say the Phantom Thieves were making good progress in Sae-san's Palace, and Mona had announced he could sense the Treasure was very close last time they had been in the Metaverse.

However, the fact their deadline was approaching fast and they were still busy with Sae-san's Shadow, as well as his worries about Tamiko-chan's behavior and his life as a model student, was affecting his already limited free time. As he finished his homework for the following day way past midnight, struggling to keep his eyes open as he flipped the pages of his textbook to find what he was looking for, he thought how wonderful it would be to be able to have a break –even the shortest one- to spend time with his friends and, particularly, with Makoto. It was funny to think how he couldn't categorize her as a "friend" no matter how hard he tried. Whenever he was in a Palace with her he never really gave much thought to it, but every minute he spent alone in his room his thoughts kept running to the dark-haired girl with bottomless red eyes…

Even in that exact moment, as he tried his best to focus on his homework, he couldn't help but think of her. He missed her. Her voice. Her smile. That pout of hers when she was annoyed. And dammit, that was not a good time to spend time and energies on a girl…

Yes, Goro Akechi had bigger problems like making sure he could save his best friends and the girl he fancied from his father who was blackmailing him. And the damn Social Study essay due tomorrow.

His eyes kept glancing at his phone, lying undisturbed on his desk just beside his left hand and oh- how he wished it would start buzzing with a new message! A message from the Phantom Thieves to lighten up his spirits. Or from Makoto starting a small talk. Or a message from Tamiko to make up with her.

He sighed as he finally finished the essay and closed the book with a loud thud. He then stared blankly at the window beside his bed, and thought that sometimes one needed to take the initiative in order to set things in motion. And to make things better, he needed to apologize to Tamiko.

Right, that was exactly what he was going to do.

* * *

Everything was done as usual: his hoodie was on, hands in his jeans pockets; no one suspicious seemed to be following him; the GPS signal on his phone was turned off; he was walking an alternative route to Tamiko's apartment. The only thing that differed from the other times was a small paper bag he was carrying…

This time, despite feeling as nervous as all the other days before, he would not turn back. He stared at the door determinately, then he shut his eyes closed and rang the bell.

He heard the sound of shuffling feet getting steadily closer, almost lazily until the one of a door opening could be heard next.

Tamiko-chan looked like she hadn't been sleeping for ages, with dark bags under her eyes and as pale as a ghost but she still gasped with surprise and embarrassment when she saw who was waiting outside.

"A-Akechi-kun?!"

He didn't have the chance to say anything for the girl gestured for him to step inside as she hurried to the bathroom, most likely to make herself more presentable. While he waited, the boy placed the bag on the coffee table and took a look around: the place was pretty much the same as always if only messier. He guessed poor Tamiko was very stressed with the high workload as well as taking care of Okumura and going to work. She had been right: he had been a jerk to her all along for letting her handle all this by herself as well as putting a new weight on her shoulders…

When she emerged from the bathroom, she gave him a shy smile and apologized for the wait. "S-so, ehm…"

"Listen, Tamiko-chan. I… I am sorry, I really am. I should have been more considerate towards you…" Akechi sighed, his eyes fixed on a random spot on the floor. He couldn't know what her expression was, but after a short pause she spoke softly.

"Akechi-kun, I knew from the very moment you stepped into my apartment for the first time you were bringing troubles. And I accepted to help you, didn't I? I mean yes, you have been a complete idiot but you never forced me, did you? It was my choice from the beginning, and even if I know this is wrong and bad for me, I can't turn you down…"

Akechi finally looked up surprised as she smiled at him. "And I can see you truly are sorry. Like all the other times before."

Akechi frowned at her and she giggled. "I have seen you walking back and forth from the window, you know…"

"So, ehm…" he rubbed the back of his head and smiled shyly. "Friends?"

"Friends."

There was a moment in which Akechi felt a huge weight being lifted off his shoulders as the girl in front of him smiled at him, though a bit sadly. He then pointed at the paper bag on the coffee table. "Got you some dorayaki, by the way."

"Oh!" the girl gasped in surprise as she rushed to open the bag and peeked inside. "The ones with anzu?"

Akechi nodded with a smile and she bit her lips with sparkling eyes. "I'll go make some tea, then!"

As the girl fumbled with the tea pot, Akechi leaned against the kitchen wall just beside Okumura's cot and crossed his arms, observing Tamiko. "I can take him to my apartment tonight, so you won't need to look after him any longer."

Tamiko stopped mid-action and turned to glance at him confused. "What? Oh… Forget about it. I was angry when I said that… he can stay."

"Are you sure? You look so busy already…"

"No, really. Besides, I've always wanted to put a plant there" she giggled amused and he chuckled too.

"Well" he said, feeling suddenly extremely happy. "Why don't we celebrate tonight? We can go eat somewhere!"

"Oh?" her face lit up instantly. "Where would that be?"

"I dunno, maybe sushi? It's on me."

"Sushi it is!"

"No, wait…" he replied flatly. "We can't, can we? They may recognize me and you'll be in danger."

"I'll take the risk, Goro Akechi. Just… I dunno, brush your hair or something…"

"Yeah, tried many times. Won't work."

"Whatever, we _are_ going out. And your dear father's not going to stop us!"

* * *

He knew his large smile would fade once the bill arrived but he would not let Tamiko-chan down. The girl had spent an hour or so in the bathroom getting ready for something- he knew- she had been dreaming of for a lifetime. He couldn't look as stunning as she did because he was still afraid to be recognized and put her even more in danger, but at least they were sitting in a nice restaurant around Akihabara, eating delicious sushi. And he was also fully aware that people kept staring at them, a beautiful young lady sitting in front of a shabby-looking guy with a hoodie partly covering his face, but he didn't care. And neither did she, judging by the bright smile she was wearing.

"…and her hair looked like it'd been through hell! Speaking of which, why don't you try flattening yours with your hands next time?" she was saying.

"Uhm, that's a good suggestion. Because you know, I've been using my feet so far…"

She blinked a couple of times before bursting into an uncontrollable fit of laughter which made everyone turn their heads. "I- ahah, I meant your hands _and_ gel or wax, you silly!"

"Nah, ruins my beautiful hair" he replied mockingly, and she giggled again.

"You know" she then said when she had calmed down, lowering her voice until it was almost a whisper. "Sometimes it's really hard to believe you are behind all those mental shutdowns and accidents… I mean, you are… so…"

"You mean I am nothing but a fool, Tamiko-chan" he shook his head. "Don't you see what I have become? I swore to make my father pay for what he has done to me and my mom, and yet I have turned into a copy of him, if not a worse one. And trust me, the time when I have to pay for my crimes _will_ come."

Tamiko looked at him worried and bit her lips. "But that is not fair! He forced you to!"

"No one forced me" he smiled bitterly. "I decided of my own accord to kill those Shadows and, consequently, those people. I am a murderer, Tamiko-chan."

"But I know you!" she pressed, almost desperately. "I know that what you did to Ikeda-sensei was to avenge me and all the other students! And yes, maybe it is wrong to kill but your intentions were good!"

Akechi didn't know what to say: he wanted to tell her how he had chosen willingly to kill, over and over again. He wanted to tell her how deeply terrified he was when he had seen Ikeda's body lying in the grass when he realized _he_ was the culprit. He wanted to tell her that, despite being pressed by his own father, he had chosen to use his skills to help Shido gain power until the fear and the terror he had felt the first time in Ikeda's Palace were no longer there, replaced by nothingness. No emotions. No feelings. No regrets. Merely habit. Up until that day when, unbeknownst to him, he had grown fond of the people he was now trying to save. The people who had changed his heart even without him having a Palace in the first place.

"I can barely recognize you anymore" she continued tenderly. "The first time I met you, you were… every girl's dream in school! You were perfect: handsome, intelligent, with excellent grades and kind. You were too good to be true, really. And when Ikeda-sensei died, I knew… I knew you couldn't be the prince charming all the girls dreamt of. That a dark aura surrounded you all the time. But I can see now how much you're changing. You changed when you first knocked on my door carrying Okumura, and you have changed even more since then. She… she must be really special…"

"What?" Akechi frowned once more at her words, and the girl lowered her head with a sad smile.

"Yes" she said softly. "The "special one" you never told me about. But I know she exists, and that it's not me."

"Tamiko-chan…"

"It is alright" she shook her head and smiled. "That won't change anything. I will still help you."

"But… why? I have nothing to offer you…"

"I don't know" she shrugged. "Maybe because… Deep down, I still have hope?"

They stared at each other with a sorrowed expression, the broken boy and the courageous girl who desperately needed each other but could never be one. And Goro Akechi was once more at a loss for words because that girl was so genuine she would always leave him defenseless.

"…so much fatty tuna, and Morgana will get so fat he won't fit in your bag anymore."

The familiar voice made his heart accelerate crazily as his eyes widened with shock and surprise, and he automatically turned to look at the people who had just entered the locale. Akira, Ann and Makoto were walking to the counter and were currently waiting for some sushi to take away. As if his stare was a magnet, the dark-haired girl returned the look and opened her mouth in a large O.

"Akechi-kun?!"

Ann and Akira turned too upon hearing the name and glanced at his table. "Hey there, Goro. Fancied some sushi tonight?"

"Excuse me a sec" Akechi told Tamiko, who looked as confused as the others, and then stood up to approach them.

"Hi guys" he greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"Morgana wants sushi. _Really_ badly" Akira shrugged. "You? Got company?" Akira nodded at the pretty girl sat at the table by the window.

"Y-yeah, she…" Akechi stuttered as he locked eyes with a very fuming-looking Makoto. "She is my…"

"The fatty tuna is ready, Akira. God bless the online orders" Makoto said sharply, and then picked up the bag and stormed out of the restaurant, with Ann following her suit.

"Damn, this is going to be tough to explain…"

* * *

"Makoto, wait!"

"I'm fine, Ann! FINE!"

"No, you're not!"

Makoto was walking furiously towards the nearest subway station to head back home, the sushi she was carrying completely forgotten. "Seriously Ann, I am not angry or anything. I kinda expected this, to be honest."

The blond girl stopped too when Makoto did, looking concerned for her obviously hurt friend. Ann took her hand and gently led her to a small park near the station –Makoto letting the other girl guide her-, where they sat on an empty bench.

"I mean" Makoto continued bitterly, trying to fight the tears that were stubbornly trying to escape her eyes. "What was I thinking? Just because he's been kind to me and we've been exchanging friendly conversations, it doesn't mean he has deeper feelings for me, right?"

"But Mako-chan, this must be a misunderstanding! Maybe that girl is just a friend, how can you be so sure?" Ann insisted.

"Right, a _girl_ friend who dresses all fancy in an expensive restaurant in Akihabara. And why has he never mentioned her before? Besides, have you seen how nervous he looked when he saw us? Someone who has nothing to hide would never react that way…"

"Maybe… it was simply unexpected" Ann continued, though she looked doubtful herself.

"Ann, really. It's fine. I just wanna go home. Akechi-kun and I are not together anyway, and he never promised me anything, after all. Which means he is free to do whatever he damn pleases." And with that, Makoto stood up and headed to the subway, with Ann staring at her back with a sad look.

* * *

The mood after their last visit in Sae-san's Palace that day was not the best, and even a fool could tell. Despite being extremely close to the Treasure, most members of the Phantom Thieves could notice something was off: Morgana refused to speak with Akira and kept muttering something about him losing his fatty tuna for the third time in a row; Ann looked extremely concerned and Makoto seemed to be unable to stand in the proximity of Akechi who, in return, kept eying the girl, his expression unreadable.

"Ehm so, since we completed the last room we might as well send the calling card, right?" Ryuji suggested nervously, receiving no answer. "What the hell is wrong with you guys?!"

"True. You seem oddly suspicious today" Yusuke nodded.

"Eh? Oh sorry, I wasn't paying attention. But yes, we can send the calling card. Queen, feel up to it?" Akira turned to the dark-haired girl in their party and she nodded in silence.

Akechi seemed to be taking a step closer to Makoto, but the girl instantly moved to the opposite side. "Actually, I think I will do it right away. I'll send a message later tonight to update you. Have a pleasant evening."

Everyone watched as she walked away without a second thought, and then Akechi did something funny: one of his legs shot forward, while the other stubbornly rooted itself to the floor and he nearly stumbled.

"Bro, you got injured in the Palace?" Ryuji approached him worried, but Ann shot him a hard look and the boy stepped back.

"No matter" Akechi shook his head and looked at each one of them. "We are in perfect time, and once the calling card is sent, we can proceed to the second part of our plan. However, I cannot risk coming to the hideout after talking to Sae-san's Shadow, so you will hear from me again via letter."

"Meh, that's so outdated!" Ryuji pouted.

"I know, but it's proving to be quite effective, right? You're all very much alive so far."

"Yup. So far…"

* * *

 _"Calling card sent."_

Akechi was woken up by the sound of his phone buzzing in the middle of the night, and he narrowed his eyes as the bright light coming from his screen blinded him in the darkness of his room.

 _"Alright Queen!"_

 _"Tomorrow's going to be a decisive day! Make sure to rest up, everyone."_

 _"Niiight!"_

 _"Good luck, people!"_

He stared at his phone as he bit his lip and thought: part of him wanted to send a text to Makoto and clarify the unpleasant situation with Tamiko, but the more rational part of him told him it was a bad idea: he wasn't supposed to reveal Tamiko's name in a message in case Shido could read what he was writing. One thing was taking her out to eat something after making very well sure no one suspicious was around, the other was explaining to Makoto who she was and why she was with him in the first place.

He resolved to put the phone on his bedtable and close his eyes to return to sleep. Akira was right: the following day would be the most important one of their lives, and they couldn't afford to mess up. Not even if that meant having Makoto suffer for a day or two. Because, even if it hurt him more than anything to see her upset, he knew he would fix this. He would explain everything once the time came.

But for now, their safety was more important.

* * *

Every single member of the Phantom Thieves was focused and ready for the challenge ahead. There was no room for error or hesitation, and this required perfect team work.

Since there was no way for him to approach Makoto and get her to talk to him, Akechi decided to discuss with Futaba about the last details of their plan in the safe room they found just before Sae-san's Shadow's hideout, and particularly about when exactly to activate the app for Akechi to be transported to the Metaverse where he would eliminate Akira's cognitive copy.

"…and ONLY when she shows me the phone, alright?"

"I GOT IIIIIT! Jeez…"

Makoto was leaning against a wall, her arms crossed as she observed her teammates. Morgana and Akira were apparently speaking to each other again, or maybe it was only because Yusuke and Haru had joined their conversation. Ryuji was sitting on a couch with Ann, for once talking civilly.

"Then we're good to go" Akechi finally announced, as everyone exchanged one last nervous look.

"I'll be fine" Akira smiled to everyone encouragingly. "Let's do this!"

They found Sae's Shadow waiting for them in the middle of a large room resembling a roulette, smiling mockingly as the nine teenagers approached her.

"You finally made it, huh?" the elder girl said. "I have to admit, you're much tougher than I thought, lil' sis."

Makoto gave her sister a reproachful look, then automatically glanced sideways at Akechi and her eyes hardened. "I'll show you how tough I've become. I'll show you all."

The battle was a fierce one, made even more difficult by the fact that Sae's Shadow had started the fight challenging them to a game of roulette while cheating. Once Akechi had spotted the trick she used to make the ball land on her side of the board, the Phantom Thieves finally got the upper hand and turned the tables to their advantage. Sae's Shadow was a tough opponent, but without her dirty tricks the nine friends managed to defeat her until the Treasure appeared.

"N-no… please…" the Shadow was pleading as she fell on her knees.

Akira took a few steps forward and picked up the suitcase that came out of nowhere. "We will not be taking this."

"Huh? But…" Sae's Shadow looked up at him and frowned.

"We need a little favor from you, instead…"

* * *

His plan was working perfectly so far. Right after talking to Sae-san's Shadow, Akechi had sent the signal from his phone to the police officers waiting just outside the casino. He had previously made sure to bring them in when they activated the app, told them to stand by until further notice and then ordered them to infiltrate the Palace to arrest Akira. Just like he had planned with Shido.

Akira was now at the police station being interrogated by Sae-san, and Akechi was waiting upstairs for Shido to give him the clearance to proceed. The man would be using one of his trustworthy prosecutors to alert him Sae Niijima was done with the interrogation, so that he could head downstairs and complete the job. Or not.

When the man in a black suit came to see him and told him with a sly smile Sae-san's time was almost up, he descended the stairs leading to the interrogation rooms and stood in the hallway. As soon as the door opened, he walked forward until he crossed path with Sae-san herself.

He could sense her fear to be in his presence- Akira hadn't told her about their whole plan in order not to put her in danger, after all- but that part went well too as she showed him Akira's phone right when Futaba remotely activated the app. He knew immediately it had worked when he sensed the distortion all around him but put a smile on his face as he nodded at her, and they walked their own ways.

Akechi turned the knob on the door and entered, his eyes instantly locking with Akira's scared ones.

"What are you doing here?" an officer guarding the prisoner asked him, but Akechi quickly took out his gun and pointed it at him, firing without hesitation. Akira's cognitive self was possibly even more scared now as he watched helplessly at the young murderer in front of him.

"Well, see you soon I guess" Akechi said, his hand shaking slightly even though he knew the boy in front of him was not his best friend. As he aimed at the dark-haired student, Akechi lowered the gun and pursed his lips.

"Loki."

His Persona of Darkness materialized in front of him, and Akechi knew it was safe to proceed. "My apologies, I am just making sure I'm not killing the real you."

His index finger lingered a bit longer than necessary on the trigger before pulling it entirely, the cracking sound of a bullet being fired echoing throughout the room. Akira's eyes were still wide open with fear and shock as the boy looked blankly ahead, and then crashed onto the table in front of him in a pool of sticky, red liquid coming out of the hole in his head.

It was still an odd feeling to be staring at the corpse of his best friend, despite being fully aware of the fact it was not the real Akira. Akechi didn't even bother to clean the gun he was holding of his fingerprints, for he was wearing gloves anyway. He simply placed it in Akira's right hand and left the room without turning to look.

* * *

All he could do now was stand by, as he waited for Tamiko's return at her apartment to confirm she had delivered the last letter to Akira. In order to kill time, he decided to turn on the TV as every single TV channel in Japan was talking about the sensational suicide of the leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts after being arrested by the police.

He was extremely bored when he picked up his phone which was buzzing on the coffee table, and sighed when he saw Shido's name on the screen. The damn guy probably just wanted to congratulate him for his "excellent work". Usual stuff.

"Akechi here."

"Please, come to my office."

Shido ended the call right after, as Akechi stared confused at the phone he was holding. Something was definitely off, for Shido normally used texts only. And definitely not the word "please". The tone he used had sounded calm and controlled, which was never a good sign either.

He scribbled a message on a piece of paper which he put on the table for Tamiko to read, and left the building to head to Shido's office.

It wasn't even a good sign the fact he was allowed inside straight away, as Shido simply loved to keep him waiting. The man was sitting at his desk with his fingers intertwined as he studied him quietly, then he gestured for Akechi to take a seat.

"I see you have successfully completed your task. Congratulations" Shido said once the boy had sat down.

"Why did you want to see me?" Akechi asked. "You don't normally do this…"

"It's true. I don't" Shido interrupted him. "It is because I wanted to talk to you personally about something that has been on my mind lately."

When Akechi gave him a quizzical look, the man stood up and went to position himself by the large window where he loved to stare at the breathtaking view of the city. "My dear boy, you are still young –too young- to fool someone as experienced as me. However, I must admit it is extremely fun to watch you try and even _believe_ you succeeded in deceiving me. Which is probably why I let you, but I suppose this is a good time to end this little game of yours. After all, I cannot allow you to proceed any further…"

"W-what are you talking about?" Akechi asked as a terrible suspicion crossed his mind, but Shido simply laughed.

"Did you really believe that the great Masayoshi Shido would be taken down by a kid like you? You might have access to the Metaverse, but you forget I have got full control over every single action of yours. I can see everything and I know everything, because my spies are everywhere, and not even an expert eye like yours could ever spot them. But then again, you are not a real detective, are you now?"

Shido chuckled as he turned to glance at the petrified boy in front of him. The terror he saw in his eyes made him feel powerful, invincible even if that kid used to scare him because of the skills he possessed. But now _he_ had control!

"I am quite confident I told you one false move and your friends would all be dead. I suppose I can start from that pretty girl you asked for help to. What was her name again…? Ah yes, Tamiko Fujikawa."

"What're you babbling about? I did as you said! I killed Akira Kurusu!" Akechi didn't even realize he had stood too, his body shaking with fear.

"Killed him? That is not what you wrote in that last letter your friend has just delivered. I am pretty sure you were talking about a meeting with Akira Kurusu and the other Phantom Thieves, if I remember correctly? Tomorrow at 6 PM?" Shido was speaking to him amiably, as if he wasn't discussing about his plan to murder an innocent person at all. "Never underestimate sending people go drink a nice cup of coffee accompanied by delicious curry… But I digress."

Shido stopped to look at his wristwatch and then smiled at the brown-haired boy. "Maybe you can still say goodbye if you run."

Akechi didn't need to be told twice: he turned and rushed outside Shido's office and downstairs until he was running through the streets of Tokyo as a light rain started to come down from the night sky. He didn't care that people were staring at him dashing madly in the direction of Yongen-Jaya, or that they were gasping whenever he ran past them or even hit them accidentally. All he cared about was finding Tamiko before Shido's hitmen did.

When he finally reached the nearest subway station, he hopped onto the first train and grabbed his phone as he tried to catch his breath. He was panting so loudly he was sure he wouldn't be able to talk but he punched in Tamiko's phone number anyway and waited for her to pick up. He felt people's curious eyes on him but he couldn't care less at the moment. He muttered a curse under his breath when the girl didn't answer and silently prayed it wasn't too late.

Damn, had it always been that far from Shibuya to Yongen-Jaya? Or did it feel longer because he was so stressed?

His phone buzzed and he instantly unlocked the screen to read the message he had received. His heart sank possibly even more when he saw it was Shido again. " _Tic toc, tic toc. Running out of time, my boy_ ".

When the jolly voice from the speakers announced his station, Akechi made his way through the crowd, not even bothering to apologize as he pushed people away from him, and onto the platform. He was the only one who cut through the dark alleyway which led to LeBlanc and, as he sped up to reach the café, he heard something like low sobs nearby.

As he turned a corner, someone bumped hard into him and then pulled away. "I didn't do it, man! I swear I didn't!"

The horrified-looking man then ran the opposite way and disappeared in the dark. Akechi didn't even bother to go after him for he was quite sure he knew what he would find, though he was trying his best not to think about it.

His heart sank when his eyes fell on the body of a girl around his age lying flat on the ground in a narrow alley not too far from LeBlanc. As he approached her slowly, he noticed with relief the girl was still breathing and her eyes were open. He could sense her fear as she weakly scanned her surroundings with her eyes only, her chest lifting and lowering at a frantic pace. He knelt beside her and she turned her head to one side to look at him, giving him a weak smile. "Y-you c-came…"

"Shhh, hey don't… talk" he whispered trying to sound normal. He placed a hand behind her head and tried lifting her up but she wrapped a hand around his arm and hissed in pain. "No, d-don't… please…"

When he removed his hand, he noticed with horror it was covered in red…

"My God…" he said desperately. "I'm calling an ambulance!"

"Akechi-kun, there's no time…" she begged. "Just… s-stay with me, w-will you?"

"I am _not_ letting you die!" he exclaimed determinately. "I-"

"I just wanted to… impress you… make you look at me the same way you look at her" the girl confessed out of the blue as tears wet her cheeks. "A kiss was all I wanted. But now I want you to save it for her…"

He listened as his heart shattered completely, but the determination to do something to save her was helping him think straight. He took out his phone and remained immobile for a brief moment as he thought. "I can fix this."

He tapped his finger on the creepy-looking eyeball staring back at him from the screen and waited until he was sure they both were in the Metaverse, then he called Robin. His Persona materialized right in front of his eyes, as well as her incredulous ones, and waited for his master to give him further instructions. "Robin, can you… can you help her?"

The creature quickly glanced at Tamiko, then at him and then back at the girl still lying down in a pool of blood. Akechi didn't know what it was thinking about, but simply hoped it could do anything. At least stop the bleeding. "I think she has been shot, Robin…" he said, knowing full well the explanation was utterly irrelevant.

Robin's expression was unreadable but it nodded anyway and prepared to cast a healing spell on the girl. It was taking a huge amount of time but Akechi stayed right where he was and observed as the Persona tried its best to save Tamiko, whose eyes were obstinately fixed on him.

"Not making much progress, are we?"

He was so startled by someone speaking so suddenly he was sure his already hammering heart would burst entirely. He quickly turned and furrowed his brows as he stared right back at none other than Igor himself.

The crooked man was slowly walking towards them, his hands clutched behind his back and still wearing that unsettling smile of his.

"Igor! Please, can you tell me what to do?" Akechi decided it was no time to question him why or how he was there in the first place when he had never left the Velvet Room before. He just knew the man had answers he needed.

"I can" the man replied amiably. "But I am not so sure I want to. At least not without a little bargain."

"What?" Akechi was seriously confused now as frustration assailed him even more. He had no time to waste, dammit!

"How about this?" Igor started pacing fast in circles around the strange group, his eyes moving from Akechi to his Persona and finally to the pained-looking girl. "As Robin keeps her alive, you and I can play a game!"

"Have you lost your mind?" Akechi asked in disbelief. "I do _not_ have time for playing stupid games with you!"

"Too bad" Igor put on a saddened expression. "Your reward could be saving this girl's life…"

Igor was turning to leave when Akechi stopped him. "Wait! Tell me more…"

The man wasn't looking at him as he spoke softly, but Akechi was pretty sure he was smirking judging by the tone. "Oh it is quite simple, really. You and I are going to have a little duel."

There was a short pause during which everything was dead silent, then Igor spoke again. "You can use as many Personas as you wish, though I am afraid Robin is going to be out of this fight since he needs to make your friend live a little longer. And I won't be using any of my Personas. Easy win, right?"

Akechi could only think that something was very fishy: why would Igor suddenly show up in a moment like that and ask to fight? And why would he let him use a Persona as he fought without one?

"If you win…" the man continued as he finally turned to look at him. "…your friend survives. I can summon Caroline and Justine and tell them to use their most powerful Persona on her."

"And what if I lose?" Akechi asked suspiciously, but Igor laughed it off. "Oh, how do you think I am going to win this? There's _no way_ you are losing, Trickster."

Akechi knew he didn't have any other choice but comply, even though he didn't like the plan one bit.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Oh" Igor rolled his eyes. "Because I'm _bored_!"

"Oh, really?" Akechi lifted a brow at the man. "Then let me entertain you… Come, Loki."

A new creature appeared right before them, its bright red eyes glancing at a very satisfied Igor. Both Loki and Akechi were just standing there, waiting. "What's the matter?" Igor mocked. "Afraid to attack your benefactor?"

"Huh?" Akechi frowned as he felt he had just blacked out for a second, his head throbbing suddenly. "Show him a lesson, Loki!"

The Persona shot forward and hit Igor square in the face but the man simply chuckled and touched the spot where the creature had hurt him.

"How are you holding up, Trickster?" Igor smirked again, doing absolutely nothing other than talking with a broad smile.

Akechi barely realized his legs were buckling automatically until he was left on one knee with gritted teeth. "W-what's… happening?"

"Oh, I guess I never really explained this part, have I?" Igor smacked his forehead with a sorrowed expression. "A Trickster using two or more Personas at the same time will completely drain their energies, since they are lending their stamina to multiple creatures at the same time…"

Akechi couldn't even summon the energy to say anything, so he decided to listen. "But I can fix this too, because I am merciful."

With his large, creepy smile, Igor stepped forward and extended an arm. "Swapping sides!"

Akechi watched with horror as his faithful Loki floated to the other side until it was standing behind Igor. There didn't seem to be any trace of regret or apology in those red eyes of it, now fixed on him and only then did Akechi realize how terrifying those same eyes were, and knew what all of his victims had felt like.

Akechi could feel stronger now that Loki had left him, but he didn't have the will to fight a friend. And even if he did, he couldn't for Robin was busy keeping Tamiko alive, and if he decided to use it she would most likely die in a matter of few minutes.

"So, this was your plan from the very beginning, huh?" the boy chuckled bitterly. "Get Robin out of the game and Loki by your side so that _I_ would be the one left without a Persona to use…"

"Genius, isn't it?" Igor snickered. "I mean, who needs a Persona when you can borrow your opponents'? After all, I am the one who gave you this power in the first place and I may as well take it back."

"I- I can still fight!" Akechi exclaimed determinately as he drew his sword and pointed it at Igor, who just laughed in return.

"Oh _please_!" The man chuckled before glaring sideways at Loki and then nodded. The Persona executed the order by striking his ex master with a curse attack, hitting him so hard the boy was instantly knocked down. As Igor's laughter rang through his ears and he felt the blood boiling in his veins, Akechi tried his best to get back up on his feet, but he knew it would be useless. He couldn't use Robin, his melee attacks would not even scratch his unexpected opponents. But Tamiko-chan needed him so badly! He would not let her down again after all she had done for him.

With shaking legs, he began rising but fell backwards after being hit by an immense power he hadn't seen coming. And again. And again.

"D-dammit…" he muttered angrily as he lied down a few feet away from where Tamiko was, her face paler than a ghost and her eyes barely open. She only managed to move a few fingers of her hands in what he could guess was an attempt to reach out for him. The girl smiled sadly as she looked at him intensely. "G-Goro…"

He was too stunned to process what happened after, because it went too fast for him. The fact another person other than Akira had called him by first name; Robin being sent flying backwards until it disappeared from his line of sight; the sound of something metallic and that of approaching footsteps; then he was met with bright red eyes and could only see Igor's silhouette out of the corner of his eye before hearing his voice. Akechi's eyes ran from the sharp dagger in Igor's right hand to the ones of his once favorite Persona staring back at him hungrily.

He couldn't hear his own screams when Igor pierced Tamiko's chest with the dagger- the girl making a terrible gargling sound-, or when Loki's eyes flashed and its mouth cracked open into a horrifying smile. All he could hear were two simple words. "You lost."

* * *

 **Your thoughts? :D This** **is probably one of the saddest chapters I've written, but this is how it needs to be done :( Hope you won't hate me x(** **  
Just wanted to thank you for your patience, really :) However, I must say that, due to the high season, my job keeps me from dedicating a lot of time to this work, or at least not as much as before. I will continue this and finish it eventully, but I cannot promise I will be able to update regularly :/ I will try my best though! See you all soon!**


	15. Breaking the Chains of Memories

**My gosh! Took me ten days to finish this D: I am super super super busy, but I am motivated! :D So here's a new chapter for you all, and hopefully you won't need to wait this long for next one. But I can't promise anything x)**

* * *

"Why is he taking so long?"

"Maybe you could try sending him a text?"

"We can't! Shido might still be monitoring him!"

Makoto was listening to her friends complaining about Akechi not showing up by the allotted time he had scheduled in the last letter he had sent to Akira. She was sitting in a chair in Akira's dusty room, her hands crossed over her chest and looking indifferent. For all they knew, Akechi had completely forgotten about their meeting because he was too busy hanging out with his girlfriend. So honestly, the less she saw the damn guy the better.

As everyone else discussed what was keeping Akechi from attending the meeting, a voice whispered softly in her ear. "Mako-chan, how are you doing?"

Makoto turned to give Ann a weak smile and nodded. "I am alright. Just bored."

The blonde pursed her lips, showing how unsatisfying her answer was. "Ann, really… I told you already. He can do what he wants."

"There" Akira finally announced to his restless friends. "I asked him to come over to try _that_ new game. I doubt Shido will get suspicious, right?"

Their enthusiasm, however, soon turned into agitation again when several minutes passed without receiving a reply.

"OK, you know what?" Akira said again, fishing his phone out of the jeans pockets. "I am calling him. Whatever."

The silence in the room was so thick everyone could hear the sound of a call being forwarded, but no one seemed to be picking up the phone.

"Dammit, Goro…" Akira muttered, staring worriedly at the screen before the call automatically ended after several failed attempts.

"Why don't we go to his place?" Haru suggested shyly. "Maybe he fell asleep and didn't hear the phone…"

"I doubt it" Akira replied. "But we can try, I guess."

The eight friends then decided to leave LeBlanc and take the first train available to Shibuya, where they proceeded by foot. Makoto wasn't entirely happy with their choice but she could do nothing but follow the leader and obey, ignoring Ann who kept glancing at her worriedly.

When they finally arrived at the shabby block where Akechi lived, they climbed the stairs and Akira rang the bell a couple of times. No answer.

"What the hell, Akechi?!" Ryuji punched the wall beside the door and grunted in frustration.

"Do you think… he might be in trouble?" Haru looked at Akira, who shook his head. "I do not know… Maybe he went out and forgot to take his phone with him."

"Oh c'mon, guys!" Makoto exclaimed irritated. "That guy is probably just snogging his girlfriend at the park. Nothing to worry about."

"His girlfriend?" Akira lifted a brow and gave her a quizzical look.

"Yes, that girl we saw at the sushi restaurant, remember?"

Akira blinked a few times before widening his eyes as he understood what she meant. "You mean Tamiko-chan?"

It was now Makoto's turn to fall silent, feeling suddenly extremely stupid. "Wait. That girl at the restaurant was… Tamiko Fujikawa?"

"Yes" Akira nodded, still stunned by her accusation. "I thought Goro had told you. But then again, you stormed out of the place before he could explain…"

Makoto didn't answer but she did turn to her left when she felt someone elbowing her: Ann was giving her a bright smile, and her expression read an obvious "told you so".

"Well, I won't even bother to ask you guys what the heck is going on here" Futaba butted in. "But Akechi is nowhere to be found, and I suppose that finding him is our top priority at the moment."

"True" Yusuke agreed. "I am afraid Shido might have discovered something."

"Akira, I suppose you don't have Tamiko-chan's number?" Ann asked their leader, who shook his head once more. "Goro never gave it to me for safety reasons."

"Dammit" Ryuji muttered. "What the hell!"

The blonde kicked Akechi's door, which opened easily and slammed against the wall of the entrance.

"What?!" Ryuji exclaimed surprised as he took a step back. "Did I do that?"

"Doubtful. I am quite sure the door has been open all along" Morgana said seriously, and everyone exchanged a worried look. "Alright everyone, proceed with caution."

None of them could count on their Personas in the real world, so they stepped inside slowly and carefully as they scanned every single corner of the small apartment.

"Goro?" Akira called once he was sure nothing suspicious was around. "You here, man?"

"C'mon Akechi, no time for a nap now!" Ryuji joined Akira and opened the door to the bedroom. "It's empty… there is absolutely no one in here…"

Makoto was still feeling dumb for mistrusting Akechi, and now she was feeling even more guilty as her sixth sense told her the boy was in deep trouble. She had never been in Akechi's apartment before, but it was impossible to miss a detail for the place was barely big enough for a teenager like him.

"Guys! Look what I found!"

Everyone hurried to the bedroom once again, where Futaba was crouched on the floor and was holding…

"…Goro's phone!" Akira exclaimed as he strode quickly towards the red-haired girl.

"Yes" she nodded severely. "And look here. The Meta app is still on…"

"Do you think… he went to the Metaverse? But why?" Yusuke asked.

"More importantly" Morgana frowned. "If he activated the app, how come the phone is here and not with him?"

"This is bad. This is really bad" Akira paced back and forth and ran a hand through his already messy hair.

"Do you guys think… he went on to Shido's Palace without us?" Haru suggested, a hand on her heart.

"It is a possibility" Morgana confirmed "But I don't like this. This is strange. Akechi had no need to proceed by himself without warning us first. And the fact his phone has been left behind…"

Makoto was suddenly feeling restless and agitated and couldn't stand discussing any longer. She was pretty sure Akechi was in danger, and talking about it wouldn't help him.

"When you're done assessing the situation, you can join me. I am finding Shido's keywords." And, with that, the dark-haired girl left the apartment hurriedly.

* * *

"Wakey, wakey Trickster."

Akechi opened his eyes and lamely tried to focus his blurry vision. Everything was spinning dangerously and he couldn't move a muscle. Where the hell was he?

A deep voice kept repeating something he couldn't quite catch, and the blueish aura surrounding him wasn't helping him feel any better either.

Someone had grabbed his chin and was trying to keep his head steady until he finally recognized the face of Igor. "Y-you…"

"What? Are you tired already?" Igor mocked him. "I thought you were much stronger than this. But then again, you did fail your rehabilitation…"

Akechi was feeling so feverish he couldn't even speak. As a wave of nausea hit him, he closed his eyes and tried his best not to be sick in front of that man.

"Feeling unwell, are we?" Igor continued indifferently. "But I am afraid you have rested enough. You lost the duel after all, and you owe me a little favor…"

Akechi refused to look at the man but was listening intently. He had no idea why Igor had suddenly turned from the benevolent god who had gifted him with the incredible power of the Wild Card, to a cold-blooded villain. This made no sense, for Igor had always been supportive and ready to give him an advice, despite his creepiness and weirdness. So what had changed?

"I will be giving Loki back to you, if only temporarily. I am quite confident I will soon get it back, together with Robin. I doubt you will be needing them anyway after this last quest I am assigning you. Though I have to say it has been truly entertaining to watch you gain power only to lose it all because of _affection_." Igor spat the last word with disdain before chuckling once again as it was his customs. "I can sense your confusion, Trickster. But don't you worry: you will not have any memory of what happened yesterday or today. Actually, you will not have any memories at all. You are my puppet now, and you are going to entertain me for one last time."

Akechi finally glanced at Igor, unable to hide his fear. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, don't worry about that, Trickster. You won't be needing an explanation. All you need to know is that soon you will see your beloved friends again. Though you probably won't even know that by then."

When Akechi opened his mouth to say something, Igor placed a hand on his forehead and smiled his crooked smile. "Now sleep, Trickster."

* * *

Things were escalating quickly and not in a good way. The Phantom Thieves had only ten days before the ballot count where- they were sure- Shido would be elected as the new prime minister. Furthermore, they were quite confident the man had discovered Akechi's plan, and the boy was now in trouble.

The eight friends spent at least three of the ten days trying to figure out the correct keywords to infiltrate Shido's Palace, the operation made even tougher now that they couldn't count on Akechi, who knew the man more than anyone else.

When the app on Akira's phone finally confirmed the hit, the Phantom Thieves were transported into the Metaverse, and soon they found themselves walking the planks of an enormous and grandiose cruise ship sailing in the sea of a fallen Tokyo.

"Bloody hell" Ryuji commented, both impressed and angered by the view. "That bastard only cares about money and power, not about the country and its people!"

"Wasn't that obvious?" Makoto replied. "You could tell by what he did to his own son…"

Makoto could sense her friends' anger as Akira- who was standing beside her- gritted his teeth and balled his hands into fists. "Let's ravage this damn place!"

Makoto was surprised to hear Joker say that. She had known him for a while now, and never before had the quiet boy looked so enraged for he was normally calmed and controlled even under stressful circumstances, but she guessed he had had enough too.

They began exploring the place, their jaws dropping at the majestic and luxurious surroundings. Every room was decorated with richness, making sure no corner or wall was left empty. People in expensive-looking suits and dresses roamed around in groups, wearing masks and drinking champagne as they discussed what a marvelous job Shido would do once winning the ballot. Masayoshi Shido's voice itself resonated throughout the ship to remind his guests of his greatness.

However, the Phantom Thieves instantly realized Shido was no ordinary criminal and his Shadow was as cunning and sharp-minded as its human counterpart: the man had thought of every circumstance since his Palace was well-guarded and the most vital rooms were barred with a complicated lock system.

Soon enough, they were forced to search for five exclusive guests on the ship who could provide them with a letter of introduction in order to access the chamber behind which they suspected Shadow Shido was hiding.

The Shadows they encountered were exceptionally strong unlike any other they had fought before, and the five VIPs themselves were unordinary. According to Morgana, Shido had stolen Futaba's mother's research about cognitive pscience to strengthen the Shadows in his Palace, which only made their resolve to make the bastard pay even stronger.

And so, since they didn't have any other choice, the eight Phantom Thieves of Hearts began their quest to find the five influential guests on board to retrieve their letters of introduction. And maybe, with a bit of luck, they would find their last party member too.

* * *

He couldn't quite remember how he had gotten into Shido's Palace or what had happened shortly before then. His memories were hazy and confused and he felt groggy as if under the effect of some drugs. All he knew was that he had a task: find eight masked people who possessed the same powers as him and crush them, so that he could get his revenge on Shido. He vaguely remembered a conversation with someone, but he couldn't recall who that was or what they had been talking about.

He wandered around the Palace for a couple of hours, sensing his targets were close but he never managed to bump into them. As he descended the stairs to the engine room of Shido's ship, he stopped and placed his hands on both sides of his head, which started throbbing painfully. He decided he could take a short break just for the headache to attenuate before continuing.

He went to place himself as far away from the feeble light by the entrance as possible, sitting in a dark corner and closed his eyes with a sigh. As he did so, an image flashed through his mind: a teenager around his age with messy dark hair and gray eyes, carrying a black cat in a large bag and smiling kindly at him.

…who the hell was that?" he whispered, his voice sounding much louder in the large and empty room.

The more he tried to breathe and calm down, the more painful his headache became.

He wasn't sure how long he stayed crouched there, but his heart automatically started beating faster when he heard the sound of multiple voices getting closer. He didn't need to look to tell who they were: judging by the power he felt, he was more than confident they were the famous Phantom Thieves of Hearts. He smiled wickedly and instantly shot up to his feet, ignoring the sharp pain shooting through his head as he did so and rushed upstairs where he could have a clear view of the large room below.

When seven teenagers and a cat made their entrance and stopped in the middle of the room to take a curious look around, he scanned each of their masked faces as something stirred in his memory when his eyes fell on a girl dressed in dark gray garbs with spiky shoulder pads. He frowned as another memory- that of a red-eyed girl pouting before bursting into laughter- resurfaced.

He pressed once more a shaky hand against one side of his head, feeling more confused than ever. What was the meaning of all this? What were those images? Were they even memories or the fruit of his own imagination?

 _"_ _Don't get distracted, Trickster. Those people are your enemies. They are trying to confuse you by installing false memories in your mind. It is the power of the leader's Persona."_

A distant, almost metallic voice rang through his ears and he almost jumped as it took him by surprise. The power of the leader's Persona? Could that mean the frizzy hair guy's Persona could reshape others' memories? Was that why he was seeing weird things and having a terrible headache?

 _"_ _Yes. Destroy him. Destroy them all, and you will be free again. Free from the pain and your tormented past."_

Akechi balled his hands into fists and looked down at the eight intruders coolly, watching their every move. They were strong but he was better. No one could excel him in strength and cunningness.

 _"_ _So what are you waiting for? Crush them!"_

Akechi jumped down, landing right in front of the Phantom Thieves' eyes and looked up at them. Even though they were all wearing masks, he knew they were gasping with surprise. His own lips curled up into a broad smirk and he straightened up to glance at them all. They were standing still, frozen in whatever action they had been doing and were returning the stare.

"Here you all are" he said, breaking the silence.

"Crow!"

Someone exclaimed, a boy wearing a skull mask and another distorted memory of a blond guy playfully elbowing him in the side flashed in front of his eyes. He refrained himself from pressing his thumbs against his temples and pretended everything was fine. He did wonder, however, what the word actually meant. To him, it sounded like a codename and an extremely familiar one, too. He shook his head and fixed his eyes on the boy standing right in front of him.

"You!" Akechi shouted. "Stop playing with my head!"

The frizzy-haired boy frowned but didn't say anything in return.

"Crow, what're you doing?" A girl's voice asked, and Akechi knew she was referring to him. He was Crow, and had no idea why they called him that.

"Stop it! That's not my name!"

"That's how we call you in here, remember?" the girl with spiky shoulder pads butted in, but he shook his head again and more vehemently.

"Hey man, seriously?" the leader of the group finally spoke, directly to him.

"I said… stop… playing… with… my… head" Akechi repeated, his tone growing more and more dangerous.

"No one's playing with your head! What's wrong with you?" the black-haired boy insisted.

"Yes, you are!" Akechi was raising his voice, shaking slightly as his headache intensified. "You're all…"

He grunted and nearly fell on his knees, but forced himself to take a step back and instinctively shot an arm forward when he saw the girl dressed in dark approaching him, and she stopped abruptly when she noticed the gesture.

"What did we do to you?" a boyish voice coming from the shortest member of the party questioned.

That was right. What did they do to him? He knew he had to eliminate them, but couldn't remember exactly why.

 _"_ _Just do it. You must do it. Otherwise you will never be free!"_

Yes, but why?

 _"_ _Because they're your enemies. They are using you to get to Shido first, and then they will get rid of you for what you did."_

"The sole fact that you exist" Akechi explained quietly. "You should never have crossed my path. And I am here to fix that."

A chorus of "what?!" followed his words, but someone's reaction in particular caught his attention. The girl with short hair and with shoulder pads had brought both hands to her chest and was staring at him intently. He could see her eyes behind the mask, which carried infinite sadness and hurt.

"Are you serious about this?" she asked, almost whispering the question.

"Oh, enough with the chit-chat!" he swung an arm in the air to prevent them from continuing speaking. "Let's end this."

Everyone seemed too stunned to react to his next action, which was drawing his saber sword and summoning Robin. However, the Phantom Thieves did notice when the Persona glanced sideways at his master and shot him a sad look.

Akechi then pointed the sword at Akira and smirked. "Ready to die, Joker?"

Makoto couldn't believe this. Nothing could have prepared her to this. What had happened between her sister's Palace and Shido's one after Akechi disappeared? Had he been brainwashed? Had it all been a plan to kill them in the Metaverse, after all? But why not killing Akira when he had had the opportunity to? Why wait until now? Something was definitely off, but there was no way to have a proper conversation with the guy. Furthermore, Akechi seemed to have completely forgotten his codename, which was utterly suspicious. And so was his Persona's behavior.

She reluctantly placed herself in attack position when Akechi had drawn his sword against them, but he seemed to be holding a particular grudge against Akira. Makoto glanced at the party leader, and stared at him until he returned it and gave her a quizzical look. She frowned, questioning him with her eyes and he seemed to get it, for he simply shrugged and shook his head. He had no idea why Akechi was acting that way, either.

"Don't underestimate him, everyone. We might know his fighting style, but he might never have shown us all he's got" Futaba warned them from above, as the girl hovered over their heads in circles while she scanned the opponent with her computer.

So they had really come to this: the eight Phantom Thieves against Goro Akechi, who had been their friend and one of the most vital additions up until that moment. Who had been hunting her dreams and thoughts day and night, and who was now determined to kill her.

Her hands were shaking violently as she tried to get a hold of herself and fight back the tears. Maybe if they pretended to fight him and talk some sense into him, he would return back to normal. Maybe he was under some kind of spell they had never seen before.

Makoto watched as Akechi shot forward with incredible speed, brandishing his sword up in the air to slice Akira up, but the dark-haired boy promptly dodged the attack and drew his dagger. It was so painful to watch two best friends trying to kill each other, though she was sure Akira was as confused and heart-broken as she was. The boy wasn't even trying to fight back, but merely dodged Akechi's attacks whenever he got too close. Until Personas got involved.

"Robin!"

At this point, Akira was forced to call forth Arsène and the two humanoid creatures clashed against one another in an explosion of bright light. Since other members of the Phantom Thieves were starting to join the fight to help their leader, Akechi jumped back and summoned some creatures from Shido's Palace.

It was an instant mayhem, with both boys and girls occupied with different powerful Shadows and Futaba keeping on shouting tips from above. Makoto was slowly retreating from a battle she had never joined and never wanted as a beaming light emanating from the center of the fight temporarily blinded her. When she could see again, Arsène and Robin were intertwined as if trying to fuse with one another while they were really only attempting to crush the other first. Her eyes quickly moved from the two towering Personas to her teammates still busy with their own opponents to the two best friends swinging their arms at light speed, the former fully intentioned to kill the other, the latter desperately trying to parry each attack.

The sound of metal against metal resonated all around the engine room, which was now illuminated by the flashing lights coming from each Phantom Thieves' Personas. Blue, green, red, yellow all alternated on the walls of the rectangular room and lit her own terrified face.

Then, as if in slow motion, she saw how Robin slammed Arsène against the opposite wall and then floated toward it. After that, Robin turned to look at its master, still distracted by his own fight against Akira, and then at Arsène. However, instead of striking the final blow, Robin dropped its hands and simply waited. Arsène didn't need to be told twice to exploit that moment of weakness to fight back- Robin not even trying to defend itself at that point- and claim its unexpected victory. When Robin fell to the ground, defeated, Akechi turned his head to see what had happened and widened his eyes in shock. As if Robin's defeat had been a catalyst, all the Shadows in the room disappeared without warning, leaving the others baffled and confused. Everyone's eyes were again on Akechi and silence fell once more over them.

"Damn it!" Akechi said angrily and gave them all a look of pure hatred. "I will… kill you all!"

"Will you please stop?" Ann replied. "You're fighting the wrong people!"

"Right, bro. What the hell got into you all of a sudden?" Ryuji intervened, but their words only seemed to be making Akechi angrier.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up! You are nothing compared to me! You're just worthless pieces of trash that need to be eliminated!"

"Akechi..!"

Mentioning his name provoked a different reaction from the brown-haired boy, who groaned as he gripped both sides of his head and shut his eyes closed as if in a terrible pain. "Damn it!"

Everyone simply stared until Makoto tried once again to approach the boy just to see if he was doing OK, but it was then he started laughing. It was not his usual soft, amused chuckle, but a cold and evil one she had never heard from him before. Akechi wasn't looking at them as he kept snickering, his eyes fixed on a random spot on the floor.

"Well then, it seems I underestimated you" he finally said, the shadow of a malicious smirk still lingering on his frenzied face. "I bet you thought this was all I had got?"

He looked up, his smirk growing wider as his white garbs and red masks were temporarily replaced by a totally different outfit, before returning candid white again. Everyone gasped and took a step back when his appearance changed in a flash, and they all wondered if they had actually simply imagined it happening after all.

"Wrong" he continued. "I will give you a true taste of power. I will show you how to _really_ win a fight."

He laughed again his cold, high-pitched laughter that made shivers run down Makoto's spine and then he opened his arms as if welcoming them to a particularly entertaining show. "Did I make you curious? Then let me introduce you to my real self!"

Makoto gulped nervously, her heart racing a million miles an hour as she predicted what was about to happen. And she was _not_ ready for that.

"Come, LOKI!"

Akechi screamed the name of his second Persona, disappearing in red and black whirls and when he resurfaced, he was completely different. Makoto watched in both horror and awe as the boy she had deep feelings for turned into the monster she was most afraid of: a dark outfit with purple stripes, gauntlets which terminated with claws for hands, a dark helmet covering most of his face and his eyes… his eyes were red. Just like the terrible creature floating lazily behind him, as if bored and watching them all mockingly. Akechi's new form terrified her more than anything. Not because of his sudden murderous instincts toward them, but because watching him with those clothes and that creature was the ultimate confirmation of what he had done, and that his heart had probably never changed. That their friendship and her love never really helped him become a better person.

Her tears were in stark contrast with his crazy laughter as he finally showed his true colors.

"Now, let's see you drop dead one at a time, in front of your precious friends!" he announced in a voice that didn't belong to him. A far cry compared to his usual soothing one…

"DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!"

The new battle commenced as unexpectedly as the previous one, but Makoto could sense this new Akechi was ten times more powerful that the one they had just defeated. And even then she had to admit they only won because Robin had somehow decided to give up…

"This Persona… his power…" Futaba was saying, and Makoto could hear the girl was very alarmed. "Stay focused, everyone!"

Akechi was clearly unstoppable: the light blue saber sword he normally used had been replaced by a thin and sharp red blade, which he skillfully swung around as he randomly used his other claw to scratch or push away anyone who stood in his way. Loki was as terrifying, resting a long hand under its chin as it sat on a large and heavy-looking sword. The creature wasn't attacking continuously, but rather seemed to enjoy watching the opponent's struggle before striking back with a large grin and flashing red eyes.

Akira seemed to be again Akechi's favorite target, but this time the boy was making sure to injure as many as possible around him. Makoto's heart ached too much to allow her to attack him, and so she focused mainly on healing her teammates. She ran around the large engine room, ordering Johanna to help whomever was in need.

Just as she ran across the room for the umpteenth time to check up on Yusuke, who had suddenly fallen on all four, her eyes met his bright red ones. It probably happened in less than a second, but it felt much longer, like watching a movie in slow motion: his mad grin slowly faded and she was pretty sure she had got a glimpse of a frown from under his mask. Akechi looked confused and stunned for a moment right after that brief exchange of stares, and time seemed to freeze entirely as they stood motionless in front of one another. The roaring sounds of the battle and the screaming voices of her friends only seemed a background noise at the moment, something that was there but she could barely register it. All she knew was that Akechi was staring right back at her and he wasn't attacking her.

She realized she had been smiling weakly only when she felt it fade away from her lips as Akechi was hit by a dark red light and sent flying several feet backwards, slamming hard against the wall behind him and falling to the ground with a loud thump.

Makoto turned to glance at Akira, probably giving him a harder look than she had intended, and he apologized with his eyes. "I have to…" he said with sadness. Makoto then looked at Akechi, who was hardly standing up and massaging his sore back.

"Damn you…" he murmured angrily, all the confusion she had seen on his face mere moments before gone. "I will kill each and everyone of you… pieces of shit!"

Makoto lifted her chin and knew that Akechi was not the same brave and kind boy she once knew. Something had happened to him, something that changed him because that was the first time she heard him use vulgar words.

"Will you stop trying to fight us? We're friends, remember?!" Anne yelled at him, causing the boy to grit his teeth in frustration.

"I said shut up!" he then balled his hands into fists and shook his head violently. "What the FUCK is happening to me?"

"Akechi-kun!"

Makoto finally closed the gap between them and went to stand by his side, crouching to comfort him. "Akechi-kun…" she repeated softly.

"Get the hell away from me!" he grabbed her wrist and pushed her away, making her lose her balance and land painfully onto the cold floor.

She was still unsure of what had just happened as she heard the others scream her name and saw someone's shadow tower over her. It was Akechi's. "You foolish girl" he said with a tiny smirk. He then lifted his sword, though with a lot of effort judgind by the wounds he was sporting.

"No, please… you can fight this… Goro" she whispered as her whole body shook with fear. And then he stopped mid-action, widening his eyes.

He simply stood there, still brandishing his sword high up in the air with both arms, and looked down at her. The situation itself might even look comical from an external point of view, but Makoto was dying inside. Dying to know what had happened to him. Or what was going on in his mind in that exact moment.

Slowly, he lowered his arms and consequently his weapon. She could sense everyone's apprehension as they observed his every action. His eyes, however, seemed to have softened, like a dark veil had been removed from them.

"M-Makoto?" he mumbled, and she felt hope burning inside her chest again.

"Yes, it's me" she replied with a small smile.

He was still studying her face as if seeing it for the first time, and she could see he was as confused as everyone else, and that he had questions. Many.

"Did I…?" he started, but she never got to know what he was about to ask her. A familiar voice interrupted him. An extremely familiar voice that was not supposed to be there in the first place.

"Aw, what a lovely scene."

"Akechi?!"

"Wait… is there another one?"

"That's Shido's cognitive version of Akechi!" Morgana explained agitatedly.

Cognitive Akechi, with his expressionless and hollow eyes, extracted a gun and pointed it at the real one, still knelt down and with an arm wrapped around his waist to soothe the pain from his injuries.

"I'll deal with the rest of you later" he said without a trace of an emotion in his voice. "Captain Shido's orders... He has no need for losers. But then again, he was going to get rid of you after the election anyway."

"What?!" the real Akechi muttered through gritted teeth.

"Did you truly believe you'd be spared after all the murders you undertook? Don't tell me… were you actually feeling good about having someone rely on you for once?"

When the real Akechi didn't answer, looking away instead, the cognitive one continued relentlessly. "Oh by the way, the captain says it's time you receive retribution for causing the mental shutdowns."

"What the hell, man?!" Ryuji butted in furiously, agitating a fist at cognitive Akechi. "That bastard's the one who put him up to it!"

With what seemed to be his very last energies, Akechi finally managed to stand up and, to everyone's surprise, he chuckled. "I see… I was wondering how he'd protect himself if I used my power to tear through his Palace. Turns out you're how. So he's making a puppet kill me… sounds like something he'd do."

"That's right" cognitive Akechi said dreamily. "I'd do anything. But look at yourself. _You_ 're the true puppet."

"..!"

"You wanted to be acknowledged, didn't you? To be _loved_? You've been nothing but a puppet from the very beginning."

Makoto was feeling genuinely sick at those words, spat out like venom. But what hurt even more was observing the real Akechi's reaction: he was not livid as she had predicted. On the contrary, he looked almost resigned…

"This is… too horrible!"

"It's still not too late! We can still change his heart together!"

"What's this nagging about? Want me to take care of you too?" cognitive Akechi turned to glare at them murderously, as tons of Shadows appeared by his side.

"Oh no..! He's not alone. He has Shadows too!" Ann warned.

"You know what?" cognitive Akechi continued more calmly, though his gun was still pointed firmly at the real one. "I'll let someone volunteer to take his place. Who knows, you might delay his death. Here, I'll give you one last chance."

He was speaking directly to the real Akechi now, who adjusted his balance as he also extracted his gun, pointed it at Akira and chuckled. "I was such a fool…"

"Yes! That's the you our captain wishes to see…" cognitive Akechi announced triumphantly, but the other snickered again.

"Don't misunderstand. You're the one who's going to disappear!"

And, as fast as lightning, Akechi turned to his right and shot at his cognitive version- who fell on his knees- and then pointed the gun back at Akira and shot a target several feet behind him with extreme precision. The bullet pierced through the glass protecting the switch to the watertight bulkhead door, and a female voice announced the personnel should evacuate immediately, speaking over the loud sirens.

Everything happened way too fast for her to remember what exactly Akechi did to her, but she suddenly felt herself being lifted up by a pair of strong arms and being tossed forward, where she landed at Joker's feet just as a tall gate erected from the floor, blocking any access to the other side of the engine room where Akechi was still trapped together with his cognitive version and the other Shadows. Her head was spinning violently and she could barely recall some of the words he spoke.

"…let's make a deal, OK? You won't say no… will you? Change Shido's heart… in my stead! End his crimes… Akira, please?"

Joker's words broke her heart even more when he mumbled an "I promise" with such sadness she knew there was no hope to save the boy she cared about the most. She wanted to say so many things, shout them even, to make sure her words would reach him. She wanted to tell him they would find a way out, because they always did. And she found herself mentally cursing for not being able to gather enough strength to stand up and knock that damn door down.

Then she heard two gunshots. And then silence.

"His signal is… gone…"

He was gone.

* * *

 **It's not over! I refuse to let Goro die! :D So see you in next chapter, awesome folks! :***


	16. 2 Of 3: Discovering Love

**Wow, one of the longest chapters I've written! I guess you deserve it after coping with my irregular updates :D My schedule is looking much better now, at least until the end of August. From September on, I'm going to be super busy again! Plus, I'm going on holiday to LA in September, so I really need to try and write as much as possible now that I have some spare time.**

 **Anyway, enough chit-chat! Here's a brand-new chapter for you all! A loooot happens here, so take notes! xD**

* * *

The truth was that she was angry. Pissed off, to be precise. Not at anyone in particular but herself.

She vaguely remembered being gently picked up by someone, surely a boy, and forced to rush out of the room as the sirens kept wailing. Someone was saying something, someone else was agreeing and suddenly the cacophony all around them ceased. She was breathing fresh air. They were back in the real world.

And now she was back in her room- hardly remembering how she had gotten there in the first place- lying flat on her bed and ignoring her sister knocking on her door every now and then to make sure she was still there, or if she needed anything. " _Yes_ " she thought bitterly _"I need him back_."

She needed to tell him how stupid she had been for wasting all the time they had spent alone with small talk instead of confessing how she really felt for him. But then again, she realized how much she really cared for him only when it was too late, when he sacrificed himself to allow them to escape. Only when she heard Futaba's words did she realize she loved him. Deeply and sincerely, and probably for much longer than she had ever known. And now she didn't even care he might not feel the same for her. All she wanted was having him know it, because she had the desperate need to tell him. And now it was too late. She'd never see him again, talk to him or hear that chuckle of his that made her heart skip a beat every time.

Why had she simply watched him die? Why hadn't she stopped cognitive Akechi when she had the opportunity to? If she had been a little bit braver, even partly as courageous as he was, he'd still be alive. And instead, she had chosen to spend the last moments together being angry at him for nothing. She had decided to be jealous of Tamiko Fujikawa and ruin the last few hours they had left, ignoring him each time the boy had tried to approach her and explain what was really happening. And then she let him die. How much dumber could she be?

"Makoto, dinner's ready!"

Sae was calling her from the living room but she didn't reply. She didn't move a muscle and then she heard her sister's footsteps getting closer, then a knock on her door. The fifteenth that day.

"Mako, are you alright in there?" the elder girl said worriedly. Makoto kept staring at the ceiling above, not feeling hungry at all. All she could feel was hatred and sadness, and a dark void occupied now the depths of her stomach.

When she didn't receive any answers, Sae tried turning the knob but the door was locked. "Makoto, please just tell me what's wrong! I am very concerned about you!"

Makoto grabbed her pillow and pressed it against her face, trying to block any other sound that wasn't her own breathing. She knew she shouldn't be doing this to her sister, that she was simply worried about her well-being, but she wanted to be left alone.

"Alright, then" Sae said and then her footsteps headed back to the living room. Finally.

Her peace didn't last long however, for Sae returned shortly after and started fumbling with the lock.

" _Damn spare keys!_ " Makoto thought angrily as she sat up in bed.

The door to her bedroom opened, revealing a very worried Sae who stood by the doorway for a few seconds, studying her younger sister's face, and then strode across the room and sat beside her. Makoto didn't move as she felt the weight on the bed shifting and her sister glancing at her.

"You know you can count on me" Sae said suddenly. "Whatever happened, you can tell me."

"No" Makoto shook her head stubbornly. "No one can help me."

Sae placed a hand on Makoto's and leaned forward. "Hey, try me."

And then, unexpectedly, Makoto felt tears running down her face uncontrollably, and she started sobbing against her will. "He's gone… he's gone…" she kept repeating.

"Who?" Sae whispered soothingly, wrapping her hands around her sister.

"G-Goro…"

"Goro Akechi?!" Sae widened her eyes upon hearing her words. "What do you mean he is gone?"

"H-he… he is…" Makoto couldn't bring herself to saying the dreaded word, because it felt like finalizing the fact she would never see him again...

"How?" Sae asked, obviously understanding what her sister had meant by "gone". "What happened to him, Mako?"

"W-w-we were in… t-the Metaverse… he d-did it f-for us…"

Sae lifted her chin as she let the truth sink in. "I can't believe this..." And then, after a short pause: "You two were more than just friends, weren't you?"

Makoto shook her head and sniffed, not even bothering to dry her wet cheeks. "I never… t-told him. I m-missed my c-chance…"

Makoto buried her face in her hands, bringing her knees up to her chest.

"I'm sure he knew it… he knew how you really felt" Sae said, but all Makoto could think was that her sister had no idea what she was talking about. Those were nothing but words she considered comforting, something she didn't really mean. Her elder sister didn't know what she was going through, didn't know what it felt like to have her heart shattered continuously all the while being unable to pick up the pieces. There was no one in the entire universe who could replace the void, absolutely nothing which could ease the pain.

No one but him, and he was gone forever. And she never said goodbye, or confessed how much she loved him.

* * *

Was that what rotting in hell felt like? Because if so, it was not half bad. There was no pain, no stereotypical flames and demons with sharp forks forcing him to repent. No one to judge him for what he did during his miserable life.

He was simply floating into nothingness. He watched as his limbs, now clothed in his school uniform, let themselves be carried by the gentle and invisible waves engulfing him. He didn't feel any pain, his injuries were gone. The hole left by the bullet his cognitive clone left him was gone too. But more importantly, his mind was at peace. No overwhelming thoughts assailing him, no more painful memories, no regrets. Or maybe he had one, just one. He would have loved to give his first meaningful kiss to the girl he liked. But he had saved her from certain death, so he was happy anyway.

 _"_ _Trickster"_

He frowned as he heard the familiar words. But whoever had spoken was definitely no one he knew.

 _"_ _Wake up"_

His vision temporarily blurred as his calm surroundings shifted into a bright red light.

 _"_ _The world needs you"_

Was it only his overreacting imagination, or was he actually feeling pain? Burning and unbearable, it was shooting through each fiber of his body. And he wanted to scream louder than he had ever done, but it seemed the burst of air was stuck in his throat and he couldn't breathe.

Parts of his clothes were now soaked in a dark red liquid, and a smoking hole reappeared above the spot where he assumed his liver was.

 _"_ _Trust me. I can help you"_

He was pretty sure no one could help him at that point, because he was losing consciousness quickly due to the pain and lack of oxygen. His eyelids felt heavy and he let his eyes close.

Was it seconds or hours later he snapped them open as he sucked in air with a long gasp as if he was breathing for the first time in his life?

He was feeling light-headed when he realized he was lying flat on the floor of the engine room in Shido's Palace. He was completely alone, and the entire place was quiet. Then he saw a tiny, blue butterfly dancing around him.

 _"_ _Welcome back"_

"A-are you… the one talking… to me?" Akechi blurted out after managing to sit up, not without effort.

"Yes" the blue butterfly replied sweetly, but there was something in that girlish voice that sounded sad. Incomplete, even. "I brought you back."

"Wait, was I… dead?" Akechi asked, fearing to know the answer. It sure felt like he had been.

"Not exactly" the mysterious voice said. "But very close. Had I intervened seconds later, it would have been too late for you."

"How did you save me?"

"I possess some powers. Powers that are out of the ordinary even for Tricksters like you. Though I cannot recall how I grasped such knowledge for my memories are hazy…" the voice spoke softly. Akechi wanted to ask the butterfly what or who it was –was it even a girl?- but wasn't sure how to address it.

"I know you have many questions, but we do not have much time. They think you are dead" the butterfly said.

Akechi nodded, understanding it was referring to Shido and his lackeys, as he hardly stood up and pressed a hand against the bleeding spot on his right side. "What's your name?"

"I do not know" the butterfly answered sadly. "It doesn't matter. Just do not let them see you. Do not end up in a fight."

"That may be inevitable" Akechi remarked, but the butterfly flapped its wings more harshly.

"You must not be seen or fight. You wouldn't survive that."

"Oh please" Akechi smirked defiantly. "I have fought more powerful enemies."

"It is not a matter of being stronger or not" the butterfly retorted, though Akechi had the feeling it was hiding something very important from him.

"Is there something I should know?"

"I told you. Get out of here unseen. No fights" the blue insect replied firmly. "I will be right in front of you to guide you."

And so, as he pressed his hand even harder against the bleeding and extremely painful wound, Akechi started wondering how the heck he had come to this: almost shot to dead by his own cognitive clone on behalf of his own father in an alternative world, only to wake up and be instructed to get out of the place by a damn speaking butterfly.

He could write a book about this, he'd make tons of money.

"Don't be silly, that would ruin your reputation" the insect said suddenly, making him blush furiously.

"Wait, can you read my thoughts?!"

"Only if you think hard enough" the butterfly said dreamily.

Just perfect. Now he really needed to be careful what he thought about. Just in case Makoto popped up in his head all of a sudden.

"About that. You should tell her, you know."

"Stop reading my thoughts! That's invading my privacy!"

"Can't help it. Sorry."

Just as they rounded a corner, a particular painful sting of pain shot through his wound and Akechi fell on his knees, tightening the grip around his abdomen. "Damn it!" he cursed through gritted teeth, as he felt the blueish aura left by the butterfly getting closer to his face.

"It is a bad wound, though it looks much better than it was when I found you. I tried to fix it at the best of my abilities, but apparently it wasn't enough…"

"It's OK" Akechi muttered. "I c-can… ask Robin."

When the butterfly didn't answer and a heavy silence full of a much deeper meaning permeated their surroundings, Akechi gave the insect a quizzical look, but he still didn't receive a reply.

"Robin" he called quietly.

The hallway where they currently were in, despite the rows and rows of suites on each side of the walls, remained silent and empty. Nothing was happening. No one was coming.

"Robin!" Akechi called more vehemently, but he still found himself waiting for his faithful Persona that, for the first time, had abandoned him to his fate.

Akechi turned his head right and left before looking behind his back, still in the hope of seeing the mighty creature carrying its large bow and standing proud and tall by his side. But he was disappointed.

"The thing is…" the butterfly said, almost shyly. "…Igor took back your Personas after you collapsed. He thought you wouldn't make it…"

"That piece of shit!" Akechi exclaimed angrily, punching the carpeted floor in frustration with all the strength he had. "He had this planned from the beginning!"

"I am afraid it is as you say. He tricked you, and he tricked Akira Kurusu. And if we don't stop him, he is going to take over the whole world!"

"But how do we stop him?" Akechi asked desperately, feeling powerless without Robin. Or Loki. "I cannot use my Personas anymore…"

"There is a way" the calm voice said. "Today you were born again. That is exactly what your Persona needs, too. A rebirth."

* * *

Her phone was buzzing. Again. She couldn't count all the times Akira had tried to contact her that day, the girl promptly ignoring all of his messages. She supposed the others had also tried sending her a text or two on the group chat, but she couldn't be sure. She never checked, anyway.

She only left her room to use the bathroom and steal a snack from the kitchen when her sister was not around, before locking herself up again in her safe haven where she could abandon herself to her sorrow.

She knew she couldn't continue like that. She knew Akechi had made them promise to make Shido confess, but the truth was that she was afraid to confront the man's Shadow. Because she knew she might lose it and kill him out of pure rage to avenge the only boy she had ever had such deep feelings for.

She couldn't even remember when exactly it had happened. After all, she used to despise him for keeping her sister busy at all times, or for being so nosy and omnipresent wherever she went. And for having an answer to anything, as well as being so bloody perfect. Except that he wasn't, because he was the one every single police department in Japan was after.

And yet, she couldn't help but love him, because she had seen the real Akechi, both the scary and dangerous as well as the kind and brave one. She doubted even Akira knew him as well as she did.

After finishing her sandwich absent-mindedly, Makoto's fingers randomly brushed against the soft fabrics of the bracelet he had bought back in Hawaii. It felt like ages before now, since that peaceful day they had spent at the beach without a worry in the world. She remembered she was still wary of him back then, but that gesture- which probably had been meaningless to him- was most likely what started it all.

It was right in that moment her memories of Goro Akechi became crystal clear, almost as if she was physically back in Hawaii, and she could smell his scent and even sense his presence. It was in that moment she wondered if he was still wearing the bracelet she had always accused him of not having the day he died for them. It was in that moment she realized she couldn't keep sitting on her bed while his body rotted in that bastard's Palace, forgotten by the rest of the world.

She needed to go back and say goodbye. He deserved that much, at least.

Her phone kept on buzzing and she firmly grabbed it and swiped the screen.

"Makoto here."

 _"_ _Hey Mako-chan! We were so worried about you… we-"_

"Yes, well. See you guys tomorrow at Shido's Palace."

 _"_ _Uh? But we've got school tomorrow and the day after too…"_

 _"_ So what? Fuck school."

* * *

"Right this way, we're almost there!"

Akechi was running as fast as his wounds would let him, using one arm against the walls for support while the other was still wrapped around his abdomen.

"You don't look so hot."

"Well" Akechi smiled weakly. "It's called blood loss, you know…"

He still couldn't quite believe he was talking to a butterfly, but he guessed it was better than nothing. At least the blue insect was actually keeping him out of trouble, showing him exactly where to go and how to move around the huge cruise ship, as well as avoiding enemies by warning him beforehand.

"It's clear now. The exit is up ahead."

"What am I going to do once I'm back?"

The blue insect stopped right in front of his nose for a moment, and he guessed it was thinking.

"You should get that wound medicated. It's getting worse. And then you must find your friends, though remember to keep a low profile. The real Shido might not know you are dead in this world, but he is after you. So just find your friends, I am sure they will help you."

"Why are _you_ helping me, then?" Akechi asked suspiciously, and the butterfly began flying further on again.

"Because I feel this is the right thing to do. I feel that, by helping you out, I will regain my memories. And maybe my real form."

"You mean to say you're human?" Akechi questioned again surprised.

"I am not sure human is the right term. But I guess…"

With one last look around, making sure no one was glancing their way and no enemies were in their line of sight, Akechi opened the entrance door and stumbled outside, his body feeling fatigued and drained.

"You are one brave young man, Goro Akechi" the voice spoke softly. "I can guarantee you this will be worth all the pain and the suffering you've endured so far."

Akechi simply nodded, because he barely had any energies left to speak. He then stuffed his hand in his pocket to retrieve his phone, only to discover with horror it was gone.

"Do not worry" the butterfly said. "I can take you home. I shall see you again in the near future."

Akechi opened his mouth right when a bright light blinded him, and he automatically brought a hand to his eyes to shield them. When he felt his surroundings changing, he dropped the arm and instantly regretted using the one which had been pressing against the wound. Now he was bleeding more profusely and he was quite sure he was as pale as a ghost. He needed a doctor, urgently.

But where to go without being recognized and without having Shido know he was lying in a hospital bed with multiple injurie as well as a bullet perforating his internal organs?

Surprisingly, his brain was still working fast despite the pain. In fact, if he recalled correctly, Akira had once told him about a doctor living in a shabby studio in Yongen-Jaya. He even walked past the health center once, and he clearly remembered it was located in a dark alley not too far from LeBlanc. He could kill two birds with one stone.

He quickly discarded his uniform jacket, which carried the logo of his school, and pursed his lips when he saw his candid white sheet underneath socked in blood on his right side. So much for not attracting attention.

He quickly looked around, inwardly thanking the fact it was getting late and the area was basically deserted, and strode toward a dumpster nearby. It was not the normal dumpster where people threw the trash, but it was an orange-painted one where anyone could drop second-hand clothes which would be collected by a non-profit organization, sorted and handed over to people in need.

He felt no regret when he opened the top and rummaged inside, because no one was more in need than him in that moment. It took him longer than anticipated, what with the stinging pain in his side and the street getting darker. The only lamppost beside the dumpster was out of order.

The boy finally fished out a second-hand rain coat, black with dark grey stripes running from the neck band down to the sleeves. It was old and too large for him, and definitely too thin for the season, but it also had a hat and that was more than he could bargain for.

He quickly put on the coat and zipped it up before covering his head with the hat. He didn't have his phone with him, nor was there anything around where he could see how he looked, but if he had to guess, he'd use one word: ridiculous. It wasn't even raining after all, for the sky was clear and with no clouds whatsoever. But the hat covered three fourth of his face, which meant people would look at him but hopefully not recognize him, and that was good enough for him.

Luckily he still had his travelcard, which he promptly scanned once he reached the nearest metro station. A station agent patrolling the area was looking at him suspiciously, but Akechi quickly pocketed his card, trying to look as innocent as possible, and hurried to the platform where his train would be arriving soon.

 _"_ _Come on"_ he thought through gritted teeth, shifting weight from one foot to another. _"Please, hurry up!"_

The train stopped slowly and the doors opened, where more people than he had expected flooded onto the platform- agonizingly slowly, so that Akechi was seriously wondering if they were doing it on purpose just to make him bleed to death- and then it was finally his turn. He didn't sit down, despite being many available seats, because he knew the wound would hurt even more if he bended his torso. And so, he stood as he held onto a metal pole in the middle of his train car and ignored the other commuters' confused look.

As the train stopped at every single damn stop, and he watched people get on and off the train, his visions blurred multiple times and he was feeling weaker by the second. He knew he was running out of time. That mysterious butterfly said it had tried to fix him as best as it could, but he guessed a bullet was no easy task to handle even for a magical creature. At least, whatever that insect had done to it, he now had enough time to contact this shady doctor. He hoped.

He almost forgot he needed to change train in Shibuya because the current train would not take him to Yongen-Jaya directly. Mentally cursing his luck, he got off the train seconds before the doors closed and waited for the next train, as the pain intensified.

Luckily, the train which would take him to his final destination arrived two minutes after. He inwardly smiled as he thought of how darkly funny it was now to think of the word "final destination". It could mean his salvation as well as his doom.

"Laughing at the possibility that you may die within twenty minutes is a clear indication you don't have much time left" he mumbled to himself, and an old lady waiting for the train beside him glanced at him with a shocked expression.

"Just rehearsing for my school play" he shrugged and gave her a horrible, pained smile.

The old lady shook her head and positioned herself several feet away from him, muttering something about the effects of drugs.

Akechi ignored her comments and hopped onto the train, patiently waiting for his stop until the familiar jolly voice from the speakers announced they were arriving at Yongen-Jaya.

Not many people got off there at that time of the day, for which Akechi was grateful. However, his mood did darken even more when he passed by the same alley where Tamiko-chan had found her death, the entire place now sealed off by the police. Akechi guessed someone had found the body and alerted the authorities, and he couldn't help but think of Tamiko's family and how they must be feeling after their loss. Unable to bear the thought any longer, the boy made his way to the doctor's studio unnoticed and rang the bell without hesitation once arrived.

Akechi snorted impatiently as he waited, mentally counting the seconds passing by without anyone coming to open the door. He was starting to think the doctor had already gone home when the door finally opened, revealing a punk-looking girl with short, dark hair and an expression of pure indifference.

The two stared at each other for a moment, neither of them uttering a word, until the girl- who he noticed only now was wearing a white coat- gestured for him to come in. He frowned, for he wasn't expecting his new doctor to look like a rock groupie but he didn't ask any questions. He wasn't in the position to, and he wouldn't if she didn't either.

The girl ushered him to a dark examination room, which was so small it could barely contain a single hospital cot and a desk with a chair where she prescribed the medications. There was a large window facing the room, but the blinders were down and no light filtered through. It was too dark for that, anyway.

"Sit" she instructed in an assertive voice.

Akechi remained standing. "I'd rather not."

"Guessed as much" she replied nonchalantly. "Take off the coat and the shirt."

Akechi blinked a couple of times, wondering how the heck she had even guessed where exactly the problem was. However, he did as she said and removed the rain coat, revealing the stained shirt underneath. He saw the small frown that appeared on the young doctor's face but she remained silent. Akechi was extremely grateful that she didn't ask questions, because he had no idea how to explain that a teenager like him had been in a gunfight.

Only after removing his shirt did the doctor step forward and examined the wound.

"This is quite bad. I am surprised you haven't dropped dead yet. I'd say it's a miracle, even" she commented after taking a closer look. "The bullet is still inside, which is kinda good since it's slowing down the bleeding" she continued after a short pause. "Still, we need to remove it, disinfect thoroughly and then apply stitches. Now, I do not normally perform surgeries but yours is a special circumstance." She stopped to give him a meaningful look. She obviously didn't only mean he didn't have time to be moved to a proper hospital. "And since I do not possess a surgery room, we will have to operate here and now. It's not going to be pleasant."

Akechi lifted his chin and gave her a determined look, understanding perfectly well what she meant and she smiled wickedly. "Sorry kid, but you will have to lie down."

* * *

He was pretty sure he had lost consciousness at a certain point after all the screaming which the doctor tried to muffle with the oxygen mask. When he came to, the room was slightly brighter though he was still lying down in the exact same position as before, but his wound was not hurting as bad anymore. Just sort of "pulsating". He turned his head to the right and saw the young doctor who had saved his life was fast asleep in her office chair. He could tell she had tried to stay awake for as long as possible writing down complicated-looking formulas for a new medication, but eventually she had given up. Which meant it was his chance to leave the place undisturbed.

With a quick glance at the clock on the wall, he knew he had probably been out cold for approximately four hours for it was now 3:30 AM.

He carefully sat down, trying to apply as little pressure on the fresh wound as possible as he pressed a hand against the white bandages around his torso. He then retrieved his shirt and the coat and put them on, but didn't bother to button or zip them up. Instead, he scribbled a short "Thank you" message on the doctor's notebook and went straight for the door and silently opened and closed it once he was outside, breathing in the fresh night air.

He was feeling weak and slightly feverish, but at least he couldn't say he was dying. All he had to do now was head to LeBlanc and explain everything to Akira. And funnily enough, _that_ would be the worst part of it all, for he didn't even know where to begin or what to say. " _Hey there, sorry for trying to kill you and playing dead for a day or two. But I got stitched up by that shady doctor you told me about and now everything's fine!"_ Just damn excellent.

"It's all that damn bastard's fault!" he groaned angrily as he stomped toward LeBlanc. Ever since he had returned to life- if he ever was dead in the first place- all his memories came flooding back to him: Tamiko's tragic death- and his heart gave a painful kick at that particular memory- how Igor had brainwashed him and forced him to fight his own friends only to let him sacrifice himself, confident he would never come back to the real world, and take his precious Personas away from him.

"Just one more target on top of my list" he said through gritted teeth, his heart beating faster with every step he took closer to the small café. Before he even knew it, he was knocking on the glass of the front door. Hard.

It felt agonizingly long before Akechi could see a dark figure descending the stairs and cautiously approaching the door.

When the door opened- the bell ringing in the process as usual- two teenage boys were standing in front of each other, speechless.

"You've got to be kiddin' me right now" Akira breathed after a long silence. Akechi couldn't even tell what his real expression was, being the other boy's face mostly hidden in the darkness of the café, but he would bet and say shocked. To say the least.

"Hi, Akira" he said simply, realizing how damn stupid those words sounded.

"Really?" Akira replied, though Akechi could recognize relief in his voice. "You make us all believe you were dead and all you have to say after knocking at my door at almost four in the morning is "hi, Akira"?"

"And that I'm sorry" Akechi couldn't help but smirk, before being his turn to be shocked when Akira suddenly leaped forward and squeezed him in a brotherly hug. "Goddamn it, Goro! You have no idea…"

"I think I do…" Akechi replied softly, the ghost of that same smirk he had been wearing mere moments before still lingering on his lips. "I'm really sorry…"

"Get in, you moron. You gotta tell me _everything_!" Akira chuckled as he broke the hug and gestured for him to get in, all the while searching for the light switch in the pitch-black room.

"Akira, who is..?!"

Both boys turned to glance at a very much shocked Morgana, whose sleepy eyes were only reading confusion.

"This is going to take a while" Akechi smiled at the cat, who seemed to be too taken aback to respond. Akira shifted his gaze from Akechi to Morgana continuously before breaking into a nervous laughter. "You know what, guys? Yesterday I found out where Boss keeps his whiskey. Apparently there's a secret dispenser in the back of the kitchen. I'd say the situation allows our first glass of pure alcohol."

"Sounds good" Akechi approved. "Though I doubt you've ever even tried beer."

"Yes, I have!" Akira retorted outraged. "A… soft beer. Oh come on, have _you_?!" The dark-haired boy questioned back when Akechi chuckled amusedly. "No, but I do not strut about it."

Akira rolled his eyes before disappearing behind the counter and returning shortly after with a bottle of half-empty whiskey, and then proceeded to grab two glasses.

"Hey, what about me?" Morgana complained.

"You can't have this. It can kill you" Akira remarked with a smirk, making the cat fume with humiliation. "You, wait until I regain my human form!"

"W-H-I-S-K-E-Y" Akira spelled while reading the old label on the dusty bottle. "I've always wondered what the difference between whiskey and whisky is…"

"I know" Akechi replied promptly. "Basically, it all depends on the country of origin. The Scots spell it "whisky" while the Irish and the American "whiskey", but the difference lies in the distillation process too, as well as the grains used and…"

"Will you stop changing topic?" Akira interrupted him with a bored look on his face. "I wasn't really that curious, you know… All I want to know is what the hell happened to you."

"Well" Akechi took his glass with the amber liquid inside and lifted it slightly. "Cheers to you, my friend. You'll need this."

And so, Akechi explained as best as he could what had happened ever since Tamiko's death. Akira and Morgana were utterly shocked upon hearing that the brave girl had been shot by Shido's hitmen first and then brutally finished off by none other than Igor himself- Morgana frowning when he heard of the name for the first time but chose to let Akechi continue with his story. And they were equally shocked when Akechi told them how he had lost all his memories during their fight in Shido's Palace, and how a blue speaking butterfly ("Hey! Maybe this girlish voice trapped inside a butterfly is looking to return to being a human too!") had saved him, only for him to find out he had lost his Personas. By the time he was finished, both glasses were still lying untouched on the table, completely forgotten.

"So both Robin and Loki are gone?!" Akira exclaimed wide-eyed. "That's… jeez, dude, I'm sorry… I still can't believe it was Igor..."

"I know…" Akechi said sadly. "But this mysterious butterfly told me I can get them back through a rebirth, and that you could help me!"

When both Akira and Morgana exchanged a confused look, clearly not knowing what he was talking about, Akechi felt discouraged. "S-so… you have no idea how to." It was not a question, but a statement. It was obvious they didn't know.

"Sorry, man…" Akira apologized again, visibly and truly sorry to not be able to help his friend in need.

"It's OK" Akechi pretended he was not bothered. "I will find a way."

He then proceeded to tell them how he had managed to escape the Palace and come all the way to Yongen-Jaya to have a bullet extracted from his flash with the only help of a useless anesthetic and surgical pliers.

"What the actual fuck!" Akira was admiring the lightly stained bandaged wrapped around Akechi's torso when the boy lifted his shirt to show him- Morgana looking the other way, disgusted by the sight of blood. "And you said you went through the whole surgery without a single cry?"

"Not one" Akechi confirmed proudly, before bursting into laughter at the same time as Akira. "I was screaming like a girl. And then I passed out."

"Well yeah, cool. I suggest you guys clean up and put that bottle right where it belongs, 'cause it's getting late… or early. Boss will be here soon" Morgana interrupted, and the two teenagers automatically glanced at the clock. "Holy crap! Time flies around you! C'mon, you wash the glasses and I'll put the bottle back to its place! I'm not sure how to explain why someone who's supposed to be dead is sitting at dawn in his café drinking his whiskey..."

After making sure several times the place was tidy and clean just like Boss had left it the night before, the two boys rushed upstairs just as they heard Boss whistling merrily outside the front door.

"Stay here and rest, you can take my bed. This time only, though" Akira winked at him as he tried to dust the old sofa in his attic, only to end up creating a small ball of white dust to spread all around him, and he forcefully contained a sneeze. "I'll tell Boss when I wake up. Oh, by the way. We found your phone."

Akechi took his phone with a genuine smile, and whole-heartedly thanked his friend before heading to bed. He didn't think he'd fall asleep almost instantly given the fact he had been out cold for several hours, that it was getting bright outside and that Sakura-san was making quite a lot of noise downstairs, and yet his eyelids felt heavy. He guessed the events he had been through the past two days were getting their toll on him, and he let his body- and especially his brain- rest. Soon, he would be seeing the others. Soon, he would be seeing Makoto again.

* * *

His deep slumber was interrupted by the sound of multiple voices speaking at the same time, and soon he could hear that of more people chatting outside, the engines of cars and trucks, children laughing merrily, a door being slammed shut…

Everything was so lively downstairs and outside Akira's window, and those simple sounds he had never paid attention to- or even considered annoying once- made him feel hopeful and positive. He turned the other way in the comfortable bed and checked the time on his phone- 3:08 PM.

"Holy crap, it's late!" he exclaimed and tried to sit up only to grunt painfully: he had almost forgotten about the freshly operated wound.

The sound of footsteps running up to the attic echoed from the stairs, and soon he could see Akira striding into the room and giving him a bright smile once he saw he was awake.

"The others are coming" he announced happily. "Morgana bumped into Ann earlier today and told her everything. He said she couldn't believe her ears! She said she would pass on the information to the others, though Morgana told me she was muttering something about Makoto…"

"What exactly?" Akechi questioned, his interest piqued.

"Dunno" Akira shrugged. "When Morgana asked her, she simply laughed and ran off."

"Guess I'll head to the bathhouse, then" Akechi said as he slowly stood up. "Been through hell and back and haven't showered yet. Mind if I borrow some of your clothes?"

"Gross. I sleep in there…" Akira completely ignored his question as he examined the sheets of his bed.

"I'll be back soon!"

Akechi walked downstairs, waving at Sakura-san who smiled back at him, though he could tell the man was concerned about him, and ignored the other customers' quizzical looks. The boy couldn't care less what other people thought, but he sincerely hoped Boss wouldn't lose his regulars because of him.

When he arrived at the bathhouse, he sighed contently and was grateful he seemed to be the only customer at the moment. He took off his clothes and took a long, hot bath. His stitches hadn't luckily come off yet, but he guessed he could use new bandages since the ones the doctor had applied were now soaked. He then put on Akira's clothes and left the bathhouse, tossing his dirty ones in a dumpster nearby. He didn't need the oversized coat any longer, and he had other school uniforms at home he could use. Though he doubted he would be able to attend classes after what happened: after all, Shido was still after him, and school would be the first place the bastard would be searching.

As he thought of his future, he stopped by the pharmacy and bought new bandages with the last money he had left and then headed back to LeBlanc.

"Hey, kiddo."

Sakura-san was busy polishing the counter since there were no customers at the moment, and he gesture for Akechi to come closer when the boy entered the locale.

"You look much better now" the man said paternally. "Listen, I just wanted you to know that I am grateful for all you did for Akira. And the others, too. I don't want to know how you kids do it, or what business you're involved into. I just want you guys to know that I will always be here for you, whatever you need."

Sakura-san wasn't looking at him as he spoke, as if he was too embarrassed to lock eyes with him, but his tone was paternal and kind. So much different from Shido's, _his_ father who had never had a single word of comfort for him.

"Thank you, Sakura-san" Akechi bowed down, trying to sound as grateful as possible. "This means a lot to me." And it really did.

Boss smiled weakly before ushering him upstairs, informing him that "the others" had arrived.

Akechi's heart was beating as fast as the night before when he had showed up at Akira's door as he ascended the stairs. He could hear the muffled voices of his teammates and friends, though he couldn't discern what they were saying.

"Here is our man" Akira announced when Akechi was on the last step. "Alive and kicking."

And then it was a chorus of "Akechi-kun!", some of the teenagers standing up and others simply sitting in their chairs, still too stunned to move.

"What the hell, bro" Ryuji was the first to speak. "You have a talent for keepin' us worried!"

"True" Yusuke nodded with a small smile. "I am not sure I can forgive you this one."

"Sorry" Akechi apologized shyly, rubbing the back of his neck."

"Oh, don't be silly now!" Haru butted in with watering eyes. "It is just Yusuke's way to say he was worried sick, and that he is very happy you're back!"

At those words, everyone around the room- including Futaba- nodded with a wide smile. And it was exactly in that moment, as he scanned everyone's faces, he noticed: Makoto was not there.

His face must have said it all, because Ann approached him and whispered in his ear. "She doesn't know yet. I thought you wanted to tell her yourself. In private…"

He was pretty sure his heart skipped a beat when he heard Ann's words- the girl winking at him- and he understood what exactly she meant.

When he locked eyes with Akira, the dark-haired boy's smirk grew larger. "Goro, weren't you supposed to visit the doctor today? To have your stitches checked."

"Uh? Oh, right!" Akechi pretended to check his watch and frowned. "It's late…"

"Then hurry up and GO!"

* * *

Thinking back to all the crap he'd been through ever since he was born and, particularly, since he had obtained his powers, Akechi had to admit no scary or unsettling situations he had experienced was nearly as terrifying as standing still in front of the door of the girl of his dreams. He couldn't bring his hand to ring the damn bell no matter what, because every time he tried his heart would kick painfully against his ribs and he would lose courage.

He took a deep breath and began pacing back and forth. _"What if Sae-san is here too? That would make things even more embarrassing!"_

But he knew Sae-san's work schedule more than he knew his: on Saturday mornings she'd head straight to gym, train, shower, eat and then back to work at the prosecutor's office. Even in the weekends. Or should he say, especially in the weekends.

So he was pretty sure Makoto was alone at home.

He knew the girl had feelings for him too, and that she must be in terrible conditions in that moment after witnessing his death, and that should have given him enough strength to ring the freaking bell. Or knock on the door.

He needed to comfort her. Tell her he was in fact not dead, and that everything would be just fine.

After all, he couldn't afford to waste any more time: the ballot day was approaching fast and they couldn't let Shido win the elections!

He sighed, cleared his throat and smoothed Akira's hoodie. The boy apparently never ironed his clothes…

He rang the bell without thinking about it, and he felt his heart hammering uncontrollably against his chest. He waited several minutes without hearing anyone coming to open from the other side of the door. Maybe she had gone out?

No, he knew she was home. She probably wasn't in the mood to see anyone, and was most likely lying in bed hugging her pillow. He rang again, and nothing happened.

"Fine, then" he muttered, and then took his phone and tapped on Makoto's profile picture in his contact list, typed a quick message and hit Send.

It still took several minutes before the message was labeled as "Seen", and then he heard it: the sounds of rushing feet stomping on the wooden floor in the hallway. Then the sound of a door being unlocked, and soon after he was staring at the very girl who had given him strength to go on all this time: slightly shorter than him, short black hair which was now sticking in every direction just like that one morning in Hawaii, her eyes, made even redder by the fact she had probably been crying, and wrinkled clothes that didn't seem to have been changed in a couple of days. She was observing him, her eyes scanning every inch of his face almost as if ascertaining it was, indeed, Goro Akechi in front of her and not an impostor.

"May I come in?" he asked after a while, but she didn't seem to be listening. Her eyes were still stubbornly fixed on his face, her lips slightly parted in a small "O".

"Ehm… Mako-chan?" he tried again, then he watched powerlessly as the girl's eyes rolled back in her head and her limbs gave up on her. She unceremoniously fell to the floor and wasn't moving.

Akechi was still standing right where he had been, observing the still girl and trying to figure out what had just happened. When he forced himself to snap out of it, he nervously glanced around to make sure no one was to be seen, and stepped inside, hoping with all his heart Sae-san hadn't broken her habit of going to work in the weekends. He closed the door with a foot and bent down as much as the wound would allow him, tightened the grip under the girl's armpits and dragged her to her bedroom, where he hardly managed to lie her down. She had obviously fainted because of shock, and he honestly didn't know what to do or say once she came to. He cringed at the thought of her passing out again and again whenever she saw his face, in an eternal loop.

"Damn it" he mumbled, feeling uneasy. "Why do weird things always happen to me?"

"Because, despite your confidence, you're still a noob when it comes to girls."

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" he screamed, falling off the edge of the bed and giving a small cry when he felt a few stitches coming off.

The same, blue butterfly from Shido's Palace was flying around the room and that familiar girlish voice giggled. "Oops, sorry!"

"What..? How..?" he asked confused as he stared in awe at the insect.

"I can come and go as I please in this and in the other world. Igor doesn't seem to be able to notice my presence either way. So I came here to warn you that he knows you survived."

"Well, thanks for the surprisingly unexpected info" Akechi replied ironically. "That didn't nearly kill me at all."

"Don't be silly, you know how dangerous he is. And you should prepare yourself, as well as the others" the butterfly remarked more firmly. "Something is definitely wrong here. If only I could remember more…"

In the meantime, Makoto's hand twitched slightly and Akechi was feeling panicked again. "What should I do?!"

"Told you you're still a noob" the girlish voice mocked him amused. "And there goes confident and self-centered Goro Akechi."

"Oh shut up!" he said venomously before paling even more when he noticed Makoto was seconds away from waking up. "Get outta here, quick!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm leaving. But remember what I told you."

Makoto's eyes opened just when the butterfly vanished into thin air, and he quickly went to sit beside her again, a hand pressed against the throbbing wound. "Hey, hey" he whispered softly. "Please, don't faint again."

"Huh?" Makoto frowned and then lifted a hand to massage her head. "What… is happening?"

"Ehm…" he looked around and noticed a half-empty pitcher and a glass conveniently placed on her desk, and he rushed to pour some water for her. He handed her the full glass and she took it, drinking a few sips in silence. Her eyes were firmly fixed on his face, as if assessing he was real and then she put the glass on the bedtable. "Hi" she said.

"H-hi…"

"You're supposed to be dead" she interrupted him, her voice sounding confident and firm. The total opposite of his.

"Yes, I am. But I'm not."

"How are you not dead? I saw you die" she insisted, and he finally smiled.

"No, you didn't. Your heard the gunshot, you never saw what happened after."

She remained quiet, her eyes silently asking him to explain. They were full of expectation, and he felt that she needed as many details as possible just for her to forgive him this other heartbreak. And so he gave them to her. He tried to explain everything that had happened since they escaped Sae's Palace up until that very moment. When he was finished, he noticed she was crying quietly. The sight of a devastated Makoto broke his heart: she didn't deserve to suffer, and yet she was. And it was all his fault.

"I am so sorry" he apologized lamely. He wasn't even brave enough to reach out and wipe her tears away. He was simply sitting on her bed, beside her and yet couldn't move a muscle to comfort her.

"I am the one who should apologize" she said once she had found enough strength to speak. "You've been through all this for us. You almost died for us. And Tamiko-chan… I am so, _so_ sorry for suspecting her…"

"Suspecting her of what?" Akechi frowned at her words, and he could swear she blushed slightly.

"You know what I mean…"

"You thought she was my girlfriend." It wasn't a question because he knew that was what she meant. She nodded without looking at him. She was still sobbing now and then, unable to control herself.

He observed her for a while, so fragile and defenseless, and his arms moved automatically: he wrapped one around her shoulders to bring her close to his chest, while the other went to stroke her silky hair. He rested his chin upon her head, and whispered that everything was fine now. That they were fine.

She didn't push him away- which he was extremely grateful for-, instead she clutched his clothes and buried her face in his chest until the tears had dried out.

"I am so happy" she said, her voice muffled. "I am so happy you're here, Goro."

His heart felt much lighter all of a sudden just upon hearing her voice saying his first name. It gave him enough strength to affirm that all the terrible events he had been through had been worth it. In the end, he'd do it again and again just to hear her say his name one more time.

She moved her head slightly to look up at him, and he automatically moved his to return the stare. It felt so good to be holding her in his arms, to not have hateful and vengeful thoughts for once. All he could feel was love, pure and sincere, and it was all thanks to that stubborn girl who had been crying her eyes out when she believed he was dead.

One last tear ran down her cheek, but she was smiling now. He finally summoned up enough courage to rub his thumb against her face to stop the tear from sliding further down, and then he began drawing invisible circles on her cheek, stroking gently. She closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side to bury it in his hand as if to encourage him to continue. He wasn't even sure what he was doing, but it just felt completely natural: he removed his left hand from her hair and let it run down her shoulder, then her arm while his other hand cupped a side of her face. She opened her eyes when she felt him move, and was intently studying his face and his expression to make sure she was not misreading his actions. She seemed frozen in place as he leaned forward, his back curving slightly to reach her level and, as his eyes traveled from hers down to her mouth, his lips parted, his nose brushing against hers.

Before they both knew it, his lips were pressing against hers in a chaste kiss which she wasn't returning. Had _he_ misinterpreted the signs? But she had proved multiple times to have feelings for him, right?

He broke the kiss as he reeled his head back, looking confused. She looked as stunned, if not more, and her cheeks were a deep shade of pink. After several seconds, during which Akechi was trying to figure out whether or not that was his call to leave, her eyes locked again with his. One of her hands shakily went to brush the fingers against her lips, and then she said naturally: "I- I love you."

Her words both shocked him and made him the happiest man alive. He had heard many girls saying those words to others, and even to him, but never in such a meaningful way. It was obvious she hadn't simply blurted them out because of the circumstances or out of hormonal instincts: she truly meant those words. His lips broke into a bright smile as he closed the gap between them and kissed her once again, more confidently now and she was finally returning the gesture. Both of them were entangled in a tight embrace which none of them was willing to break as their lips never left the other's as if glued together. He wasn't sure how long they had been in that position, kissing and stroking each other but, when they finally pulled back, their faces were flushed and their lips were swollen. They both smiled at each other, Makoto muttering a "Wow!" before she stared at him quizzically.

"What?" he asked, half laughing.

"I ehm… I know I shouldn't ruin this with pointless questions, but… does this mean you love me too?"

He took his time to answer, knowing full well he was agitating her. "Makoto, you can be the most annoying, stubborn and irritating human being I've ever met..."

"Thanks for that."

"...and trust me when I say I am not the most expert when it comes to feelings and love..."

"Despite that, you proved several times that the person who thought his shield was unbreakable turned out to be the most caring one..." she insisted, and he smiled.

"You may be right... In fact, every time I've felt down or was in mortal danger, your pouting face has always been there, to virtually encourage me to hold on and never give up. I just can't stop thinking about you no matter who I'm with or where I am. And yesterday, when I was on the verge of dying, you kept me going. You keep me going every day, and made me a better person. You're so good, so perfect I can honestly say I don't deserve you. And yet I can't do without you. So yes, I guess this answers your question."

Her worried face lit up and she kissed him, feeling her lips smiling contently against his.

"There's only one problem though" she said, looking suddenly very serious and he scowled. "How am I gonna tell my sister you're not dead after all?"

* * *

 **Woooo! They finally kissed :D Those two sure took their time ^^ And yes, I made it as innocent as possible, what with it being their first meaningful one. But who knows, they might learn something new with time ;)**

 **But hey, we are almost at the end: I guess 2 or 3 more chapters. I am not sure, though. I am having so much fun writing this. Who knows, I may write a few bonus chapters after!**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter, though ;)**


	17. Safety First

**My gosh! It's been SO long! I am _really_ sorry everyone, but I have been so incredibly busy with work and holidays and a new project I've been mulling over for a while now. In fact, I was re-watching "Bates Motel" and, well... my brain started working on its own until this idea struck me, though I haven't written anything yet, and am not sure I ever will until this fanfiction is completed because I don't like leaving things unfinished. Could any of you possibly be familiar with the series? If so, let me know ^^ Aaaanyway, I did say I'd finish this and I will :) It will just take longer than I had originally planned, so thank you all for sticking around even after my long break :)**

 **Btw, I got a review from a guest asking me if this story could ever see the pairing Akira/Haru: sorry for taking so long to reply, but I couldn't send you a message since you're not a registered member ;) I honestly do not know if I will be able to pair them at this point in the story since it's almost finished, but I could at least try to hint something (like I did in this chapter).**

 **Sorry for the long AN, now you can go ahead and hopefully enjoy this chapter! ;)**

* * *

Goro Akechi was still wearing a wide smile on his face after leaving the Niijima's apartment as he headed to his own place, despite the throbbing pain in his side, though he guessed it could have been worse. Thanks to that weird butterfly, one of his stitches had come off but other than that his wound looked fine. He knew he would be required to pay another visit to the punk doctor who had saved his life to get the wound checked, but for now he could relax for a while. Or so he thought.

In fact, as soon as he arrived in Shibuya a group of teenage girls spotted him from afar, despite him wearing Akira's hoodie which was the total opposite of what he normally wore in public. One of the girls shrieked excitedly and elbowed her friends, pointing at him.

"LOOK, IT'S AKECHI-KUN!" she shouted louder than it was required, causing many other heads to turn in his direction.

The last thing he needed was to be recognized in public now that he knew Shido was after him. After all, he had already tried to kill Tamiko-chan, and he would have surely succeeded had it not been for Igor who had completed the job before him.

And it was right in that moment that the terrible truth struck him: Shido wanted him dead, and he wouldn't stop until the matter had been taken care of. Which meant he would look for him anywhere, including his friends' places, and he knew Shido had all of their names and addresses. The man knew exactly where each one of them lived, where they usually hung out, which school they attended, and their connections. In other words, his friends and their families were in mortal danger because of him.

He needed to take them all to a safe place where Shido couldn't find them. But where?

A flashing light momentarily brought him back to reality, and he realized with horror that many had taken out their phones and had started taking pictures of him. Ignoring the adoring girls' pleas to get a coffee together, Akechi turned the other way and quickly left the crowded square to head to his apartment. Those stupid people would surely post the pictures on the internet, which meant Shido could track him down more easily. Instead of walking the usual streets full of people and shops, Akechi took a shortcut through narrow alleyways with full dumpsters and skinny cats that seemed to be able to see right through him with those sharp, yellow eyes of theirs. When he finally turned the last corner, he sped up and ran toward the shabby, grey block where he had spent the past three years. He mentally cursed when he read the sign "Out of Order" attached to the doors of the elevator, and started climbing the stairs up to his floor two steps at a time. When he arrived however, he noticed the door to his apartment was slightly ajar, and he could hear muffled voices from the other side.

"…must be some kind of clues around here. Search thoroughly."

Akechi walked slowly toward the sound of the men's voices as if compelled by them, and he had already extended an arm to open the door…

"Are you out of your mind?"

It took all of his self-control not to scream when someone spoke, loud and clear, in his ear. He instinctively took a step back and stared at a large, blue butterfly which was floating in front of his eyes. "Are you suicidal, perhaps?"

Before Akechi could open his mouth and answer, the butterfly cut him off and spoke again. "There are Shido's men in there. You will want to leave now."

"Can't they hear you?" he whispered, noticing how the butterfly was speaking quite loudly.

"No. Only people who have access to the Metaverse can hear my voice" it explained. "Why did you come here? Get out."

"I need my stuff!" he retorted angrily.

"No, you don't _need_ your stuff. You can borrow Akira Kurusu's clothes, and you definitely don't need those stupid games…"

"This is _my_ home!"

"Not anymore!"

Those two simple words were enough to leave him speechless: how much had he lost because of Shido? First his mother, and consequently his only family, then Tamiko, then his freedom and now he didn't even have a place to live anymore…

"Listen…" the butterfly said more softly, as if reading his mind. But he never got to hear what it was about to tell him, for it was interrupted by the sound of two new voices coming from downstairs. Whoever that was, they were getting closer. And they didn't sound like normal neighbors.

"…the boss wants that kid dead, anyway? Seems pretty harmless to me."

"Don't question his decisions, Tengo-san. Just do as he says."

Neither Akechi or the blue butterfly managed to react quickly enough: two large men in black suits stopped on the last step and looked at Akechi- apparently unable to see his tiny companion flying above his right shoulder-, their mouths open in a comical "O" before one of them, the slimmest and yet deadliest-looking one, extracted a heavy-looking gun and pointed it at him, shouting, "He's right here everyone!"

"Oh shit!" was Akechi's comment as his legs moved automatically to his right and the boy dashed madly upstairs, the blue butterfly flapping its wings as fast as it could to keep up with him.

"Where are you going?!" the insect asked him.

"Roof. Dunno" he panted as he kept climbing, too scared to turn to look if his chasers were close or not.

Despite the shouting and the vibration of feet stomping onto the floor, no one opened their doors to check what was happening. Akechi imagined everyone knew someone was in trouble, but decided that their lives were much more valuable than their curiosity.

When the boy reached the last floor, which was completely empty apart from a dark grey door at the end of the hallway, he could only hope no one had locked it because he didn't have time to retrieve the keys from his jeans pocket.

He didn't stop running when he reached the door, quickly placing one hand on the handle and turning it, and slamming his shoulder against the cold metal to force it open. He emerged on the rooftop where he had never been before. Judging by how dirty the entire place looked, he guessed not many of his neighbors came there often either. A hissing sound went right past his right ear, and Akechi quickly turned to look at one of the men in a suit pointing a gun at him.

"Those bastards are not joking, are they?! They even got a silencer!" he said shocked.

"Are you going to stay here and find out or what?" the butterfly pressed.

"Where am I supposed to go?!" he asked then, moving his head left and right to try and find an escape route.

"I don't know, just do something!"

"You're of great help" Akechi commented sourly before picking a direction randomly and running toward the edge of the roof. "It was NOT nice to meet you!" the boy exclaimed before jumping without thinking.

He wanted to die without the need to see the ground getting closer and closer before splatting himself there, but for some reason he couldn't keep his eyes shut. He felt gravity pulling him down, bullets missing him by few inches, and a girlish voice ringing in his ears. Out of pure instincts, he reached out and grabbed onto a large satellite dish standing proudly by the edge of the neighboring building's roof. The object, however, snapped under his weight, made even heavier by the long jump, and Akechi felt his body hanging for just a second before falling down again.

"Craaaaaaap!"

Still holding a solid grip onto the only thing in his line of sight, the boy watched powerlessly as the wide dish fell down with him, before slamming onto a thick billboard which had been placed right between the two buildings, poising on it and then losing its balance again. Akechi never let go of the dish until it finally crashed to the ground with a deafening sound.

"Are you alright?"

"After falling from the eighth floor with a satellite dish as parachute? Never been better, really" Akechi replied ironically as he massaged his back.

"You're lucky you survived. You did something very brave. Or very stupid" the butterfly said, seemingly very impressed.

"Well yeah, you know. I wasn't really thinking. By the way…" Akechi stopped for a moment to observe the insect's reaction, a tiny smirk appearing on his face as adrenaline kicked in. "Can you believe that, if I had died there, my last word spoken would have been "crap"? Looks like swearwords are most people's famous last words after all."

"Yes, at least people who die in horrible accidents" the butterfly commented, and they both laughed, still unable to believe they had avoided certain death once again.

Their brief moment of piece was quickly interrupted by the arrival of a shiny Tesla pulling off and revealing more men in black. Akechi forced his tired legs to move hastily and began running again, choosing the most complicated way to go back to Shibuya in the hope to leave his chasers behind. He doubted they would follow him to an open and crowded square and execute him in front of hundreds of people. Besides, there must be a reason why they used silencers: they most likely didn't want to make their actions known publicly also to avoid to let people know the great Masayoshi Shido was behind it all.

And so he kept running desperately, turning every time he had the opportunity to, so that it would be much more difficult for those men to aim at him steadily. When he finally emerged into a street full of people, he knew he had made it: he pressed his hands against his sides and bended over, trying to catch his breath and ignoring the people's curious stares. He was getting used to that, anyway. He turned to glance behind his back but there was no sign of his chasers, though Akechi doubted they would give up so easily.

"What do we do now?" the butterfly asked, and Akechi snorted with a tiny smirk.

"What do _I_ do, you mean. _You_ don't need to worry about a thing since you are invisible in this world, and that Igor guy cannot sense your presence in the Metaverse."

"I am trying to help you here" the girlish voice remarked sourly.

"Not really doing a good job there, I'm afraid" Akechi scoffed, and the butterfly fluttered its wings as it was its customs when it was irritated. "Well then, Goro Akechi: aren't you forgetting something _very_ important?"

Akechi raised a brow at the insect and eyed it blankly. "Like what?"

"Like Okumura-san. I heard Tamiko-chan's family will soon head to her place to collect her belongings before the funeral. What do you think they will say when they see she has been hosting someone who's supposed to be dead?"

"Holy shit, you're right" Akechi ran a hand through his hair, looking nervous. "Do you know when they're coming?"

"No, they weren't sure. But they did mention sometime before the funeral, which is to be held tomorrow at 6 PM. So it may be later today or tomorrow morning" the butterfly replied.

Akechi seemed to be thinking hard before speaking again. "Alright then, let's stop by Tamiko's apartment."

The truth was that he _really_ didn't want to return to that place, because he didn't want to recall all the moments he had spent with Tamiko-chan. It still hurt like hell to think she had died because of him. Because she had accepted to help him. Because he had gone to her place, messed up her peaceful and promising life in order to save himself, and ended up getting her killed. He was responsible for her death, and he wasn't sure he was ready to visit her apartment again. But the butterfly was right, too: he simply couldn't leave Okumura to his fate there, risking the entire world to find out he was still alive. At least, not yet. That would ruin everything.

So he stuffed his hands in his pockets and began walking to Tamiko's old apartment, trying as much as possible to get distracted by the sight of couples holding hands, and thinking that, despite it all, he still had friends and Makoto…

"About that, congratulations. You finally made it!"

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop reading my mind?!" Akechi exclaimed louder than intended, causing many people around him to glance at him: some looked scared, other confused and other sad. He guessed they all thought he was completely crazy for talking to himself like that. "And now you make me sound like I just escaped a sanatorium!"

"Then lower your voice" the insect retorted nonchalantly, though he guessed it would be smirking if it could.

"How about _you_ stop talking to me, eh Cho-Cho-chan?" Akechi replied, and smirked widely when he heard the girlish voice exclaim a "What?!"

"What did you call me just now?" it said angrily, and Akechi chuckled.

"Cho-Cho-chan. Fits you like a glove" he answered without turning to look at it. "I mean, I just had to give you a name since you don't seem to be willing to leave me alone."

"Alright, fine!" it said sourly. "But only until I get my memories back!"

"Sure thing."

Soon though, his sense of humor abandoned him when he was in the proximity of Tamiko's apartment, and his bad mood came back. Cho-Cho-chan seemed to understand what he was feeling for it went to rest gently on his shoulder, allowing him to carry it all the way up to his former friend's place. Akechi still had his copy of the keys which he used to unlock the door, finding it exactly the same way he had left it that dreadful day. His eyes instantly fell on the note he had left her before going out to meet Shido, and he noticed how the girl had put the piece of paper on top of a few others he had written before, as his way to inform her of where he was going when she was not at home. His heart ached at the thought of Tamiko storing all of his notes- which he had scribbled without paying too much attention or caring to write more than a few lines- as a keepsake…

"It wasn't your fault…" Cho-Cho-chan said sadly. "She knew how you felt about her. And she knew the risks when she accepted to help you."

"Right. Too bad I was the one approaching her first and asked her. If I hadn't, she'd be still alive, and probably become the best journalist Japan has ever seen…" he retorted, unable to control his anger. He wanted to leave the damn place behind, where her perfume still lingered in the air. He could see from the living-room that on the kitchen counter there lied a thick steak which was starting to rot, and he guessed Tamiko was planning on cooking something special for him after delivering the letter to Akira. Everything in the apartment had been left with the intention of returning and finishing what had been started. Everything showed Tamiko-chan was expecting to return home and continue with her everyday life. But she never made it back.

The air felt very thick and almost tangible, and Akechi couldn't help but think _something_ in that apartment felt "suspended", as if waiting for someone to continue from where they had left off. Like pausing in a videogame.

"Goro-kun" Cho-Cho-chan whispered gently. "We should make haste."

He nodded without saying a word and, after collecting the notes he had written and removing every traces of him ever being there –his vast experience working side by side with the police helping him in the process-, he moved to the kitchen, instantly spotting Okumura still lying in his cot as always. He seemed to be the only thing in the apartment that hadn't changed a bit, and the boy found himself eying the sleeping man wishing he could fall in a dreamless slumber too.

He sighed loudly and took out his phone. He hadn't been thinking about it, but now it felt natural, as if he had known all along. He knew exactly where to take Okumura.

He unlocked the screen and swiped his finger across it, then tapped on the eyeball.

He heard a thud, then watched as the world around him shifted: the walls in Tamiko's kitchen melted away, before rising up again with different shape and color. And so did the floor, and the ceiling and all of the surroundings until Akechi found himself standing inside Mementos. Okumura was lying at his feet, and Cho-Cho-chan was still resting on his shoulder.

"You know what?" it said. "You should become a real detective once this is all over. You've really got what it takes."

And, despite the emptiness and guilt he felt, Akechi couldn't help but smile weakly.

* * *

"You two what?!"

Ann Takamaki was listening intently to her friend Makoto while the two girls sipped hot cocoa in a crowded café in Shibuya. The dark-haired girl giggled softly at her friend's impressed face. "You heard correctly."

"And who made the first move?" Ann asked. "He did" Makoto answered and took a sip of her cocoa.

"Freakin' finally!" Ann sighed contently, genuinely happy for her friend. She then observed her for a moment before continuing. "It's really nice to see you happy again, Mako-chan. You deserve it."

"Thank you, but so does he."

"Right" Ann mumbled. "He has been through a lot himself, hasn't he? And hearing about Tamiko-chan was horrible…"

"Yes, poor girl…" Mako shook her head and scowled. "And to think I was jealous of her…"

"Hey, it wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known…" Ann grasped her hand, squeezing gently until the other girl smiled weakly.

"Though, I've been thinking…" Ann broke the silence after a short while, during which the two girls simply sipped their hot chocolates and stared out the window. "What do you think it's going to happen once Shido has been taken down? He will confess everything, and Akechi-kun's name will most definitely be mentioned…"

"I know, I've been thinking about that too" Makoto replied and bit her lower lip. It was the truth: ever since the boy had showed up at her place and left after a session of cuddles and kisses, she had been thinking about their future. And particularly _his_. "Honestly, I do not have an answer. After all, Goro is a victim himself due to the sufferings he has endured since childhood, and what with a father like Shido…" Makoto made sure to lower her voice as she spoke. Then she exhaled loudly. "But the fact he has indeed caused the death of so many people remains, and the police surely won't believe the fact he is a Knight of Justice that kills people's Shadows in an alternate world. And my sister won't be able to help this time… and I am so afraid, Ann…"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up" Ann apologized. "I'm sure we will find a way. We always do."

"I sure hope so" Makoto replied sadly. "For Ann, I don't know what I'd do if I lost him again…"

* * *

"Have you ever been here before?" Akechi asked Cho-Cho-chan, the butterfly promptly replying with a "no, never".

"Mhm… it feels like something's missing, here…" Akechi muttered, mostly to himself as he scanned his surroundings. Then it became clear. "Of course! Those two annoying twins are gone!"

"Huh?" Cho-Cho-chan flapped its wings and began dancing around his head. "Who?"

"Those two… Caroline and Justine. They always stand over there, ready to kick you in the shin and teleport you to the Velvet Room…" Akechi explained. Though he couldn't see its expression, the boy felt Cho-Cho-chan's mood darkening. "I see… That reminds me of something terribly familiar, but I cannot recall what… I guess that impostor is planning something if he is hiding from you."

"It's definitely strange. A door to the Velvet Room is always available to us whenever we come to the Metaverse, so I am quite surprised it is not here now. It must be as you say. Maybe Igor is getting ready."

"Mhm…" the butterfly hummed, obviously deep in thought, but it didn't add anything else.

"It's getting late. I should probably warn the others Shido is after me, which means they are in danger too" Akechi announced after checking the time on his phone. "Okumura-san should be safe for now. Or at least I hope…"

"Safer than in the real world" Cho-Cho-chan chimed in, and Akechi nodded before returning back to Tamiko's apartment.

The two companions glanced around the room nervously, making sure no one else was there. Once ascertained they were alone, Akechi ran to the door and opened it to leave Tamiko's small flat for the last time, without looking back. He might spot something, _anything_ that would remind him of a particular episode spent with the girl, and his mood would darken even more. Instead, he focused on the task ahead: sending a message to the Phantom Thieves asking them to gather their necessities and- if required- loved ones and meet at LeBlanc. Then he would quickly update them all and convince them to move to the Metaverse. At least until Shido was dealt with.

He sent the message when he was in the train to Yongen-Jaya, most of his friends replying with a confused "Why?" It was particularly tough to convince Yusuke, since the boy was apparently in one of his inspirational moments and would stubbornly refuse to meet at the designated spot. When Akechi was forced to write it was a life-or-death situation, he finally agreed, though he claimed to be rewarded with fresh sashimi.

One hour later, Akechi was opening the door to LeBlanc where he immediately spotted his friends and- his heart gave a small kick- Makoto sat at the table closest to the entrance. No one else was occupying the other seats, though Akechi did notice that Sae-san and Sakura-san were engaged in a hushed conversation by the counter. They both looked puzzled and worried.

"Goro, what's going on?" Akira immediately asked him.

"Yeah, why the emergency meeting?" Ryuji chimed in.

"And why did you tell us to bring our families?" Futaba interjected, lifting a brow at him. Akechi looked from each one of his friends to Sae-san and Sakura-san, then back at them. "Right. We're in trouble."

"When aren't we?" Ryuji smirked and then chuckled softly, then groaning in pain when Ann elbowed him in the side.

"I suppose I can speak freely since both Sae-san and Sakura-san here know about our true identities. Shido is after me and, consequently, after you guys too, judging by what he did to Tamiko…" Akechi paused for a moment with a sad expression, then he forced himself to shake it off and continue. "He's got intelligence spying on you all, so I am afraid your families are in danger, too."

"That Masayoshi Shido…" Sae-san commented angrily. "Sounds familiar" Sakura-san was massaging his chin as he thought hard. "Isn't he that famous politician everyone is praising? The one who's going to win the elections?"

"And my father" Akechi added nonchalantly, earning a long gasp from the man in front of him.

"Wait a minute" Sakura-san was staring at him with a shocked expression. "You… you are Masayoshi Shido's son?! How come that the media never found out? You are famous, after all. And why do you use Akechi as your last name?"

"Slow down, Sojiro" Futaba smirked, though there was no real amusement in her eyes. "One question at a time."

"Right" Akechi nodded and took a deep breath before answering. "Yes, he is my biological father, but he abandoned my mother when she was still pregnant. After giving birth to me, she took her own life out of shame and desperation, so I grew up in orphanages, changing foster families all the time. And since Shido never bothered to look for me, or even recognize me as his legitimate son, I took my mother's last name and never revealed who I really was to him. Up to this day, after working closely with him, I never told him. Which is why the media never discovered this particular aspect of my life. Whenever I was asked, I simply stated I never met my father, so they stopped questioning me about it."

Akechi paused to let the information sink in, observing Sakura-san's kind face as the man processed the news. He turned his head when he heard a small sob, and was quite surprised himself to see Sae-san was listening as intently, a few tears wetting her cheeks. "Akechi-kun, I had no idea…"

He simply nodded, his lips forming a tight line. Sae-san knew about what he had done, but she had yet to hear his childhood story, and consequently the reason why he had done those things. When he guessed the man was ready, Akechi continued. "I know Akira has told you everything about me. The terrible things I've done… I know I cannot undo them, and I will eventually pay for my crimes." He stopped to glance at Makoto, who was struggling to look back at him. "However, I wanted to say how much I appreciate what you've done for me: despite it all, you took me in more than once, gave me a shelter and food and never spoken a word about me to anyone. For that, I thank you sincerely." Akechi bowed to show how much he respected and appreciated the man's kindness, leaving him baffled and blushing. "Come on, kiddo, it was nothing!"

"However, I must ask one more thing of you, probably the greatest" Akechi sighed and then looked straight into his eye. "You are to leave LeBlanc, at least until we have dealt with Shido once and for all, and go into hiding together with Sae-san."

"What?!" Sae looked outraged. "I can't leave my work behind!"

"I knew you'd say it" Akechi smirked. "But with all due respect, allow me to tell you that your job is not your highest priority right now. I know how much you care for it, but a dead sister wouldn't be of any help to Makoto."

Sae reeled her head back and lifted her chin, processing what he had just said. Despite her defying expression, she must agree with him for she nodded without another word.

"I didn't bring anyone" Ryuji broke the silence after a while. "My mother is out of Japan to visit her father. He doesn't live in Japan at the moment, because he is being treated in Singapore in a highly-specialized hospital or whatever to treat his lungs condition. She should be safe."

"And my father is somewhere safe, isn't he Akechi-kun?" Haru asked him worriedly, and the boy gave her a short nod and a smile. She smiled back, telling him with her eyes she fully trusted him.

"My parents are somewhere in Ohio right now" Ann said cheerfully. "I don't think Shido would bother to look for them there, and even if they did, they change location all the time."

"Sojiro is here with us" Futaba commented simply.

"And I don't have anyone but you guys" Yusuke smiled, looking like he didn't have a care in the world and apparently not realizing how much his friends cringed at his words.

"Same here" Morgana shrugged.

"So, it's settled" Akira clapped his hands and looked at the others. "Where's this safe haven, Goro?"

"Why" Akechi smirked. "Mementos, of course."

* * *

It took a lot of effort for Makoto to convince her elder sister to pack a bag with only the necessary things, and leave behind her large collection of outfits and make-up because "you won't be living there for the rest of your life".

On the contrary, Sojiro Sakura showed up twenty minutes later at LeBlanc with a backpack and a stoic expression. However, it was with great sadness he locked the front door and, with one last glance behind at his beloved café, he followed the seven teenagers and the black cat. They didn't walk long, stopping outside the shabby clinic and waited until Makoto and Sae joined them after taking the subway.

"Well, there's not much else to say" Akechi shrugged before taking out his phone. He could feel both Sae-san's and Sakura-san's curious stares, but the boy ignored them and tapped on the eyeball as usual after making sure they were the only ones in the dark alleyway. Sae and Sojiro took a step back as soon as they noticed the world around them shifting, an expression of pure horror on their faces but they didn't dare to speak a word.

When the shifting was complete and the teenagers and the cat started moving around, both Sae and Sojiro let out a breath they didn't know they had been holding. "Holy moly" Sakura-san commented as he looked around "what is this place?"

"Is it here you come when you… ehm, change people's hearts?" Sae added.

"Yes" Makoto answered "Though this is only a very large, dark territory crawling with lesser Shadows. The real villains have their own 'Palaces', which are places their distorted desires have created, and where their Shadow selves reside…"

"Spare me the details, little sis. Even though it sounds very interesting, I don't understand a word you say" Sae commented, making the others chuckle lightly. "This place is creepy, though! And you say there are _Shadows_ wandering around?"

"Yes, but for some reason they can't come up here" Akira reassured, though neither Sae or Sojiro looked at ease. "How can you be so sure?" the man asked.

"Because we have tested it many times. I mean, not even the Reaper ever came up here, right?" Ryuji chirped, causing the others to pale at the memory of a crazed Reaper.

"The… the Reaper?!" Sojiro was regretting the decision of moving to that unsettling place more and more by the moment, and wasn't even trying to hide his discomfort anymore.

"C'mon Sojiro" Futaba nudged him in the side playfully "You're safe here, and we're not letting you get hurt!"

"Akechi-kun…" a very shy voice spoke next and, when everyone turned towad the source of the sound, Haru could be seen shrinking under everybody's intense gaze. "Ehm I.. I was just wondering if… my f-father was here?"

Akechi smiled kindly and nodded, walking toward a dark corner where, after paying enough attention, they could all see a pair of legs sticking out of a warm-looking cover. When they all got closer to the person lying on the floor, they realized it was Okumura-san after all. Warm tears started running down Haru's cheeks, who couldn't take her eyes off her asleep father. She knew he wasn't really sleeping, more like in a sort of coma, but he looked so peaceful now, more than she had ever seen him in all her life ever since her mother passed away. Akira moved closer to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to his chest. The gesture only made the girl sob slightly louder into Akira's shirt, not caring that ten more people were watching her. Akira kept whispering soothing words into her ear, and they eventually seemed to work for the girl wiped her tears away and smiled weakly. "I am sorry" she said shyly, still sniffing now and then "I am such a weak girl…"

"Don't ever say that!" Ann almost yelled at her friend "You're one of the kindest and bravest persons I have ever had the fortune to meet." Haru watched as every single one of her friends nodded with a large, encouraging smile and she eventually returned it. "Thank you all _so_ much!"

"You shouldn't probably thank me" Akechi said apologetically as he dropped his head in shame. "I am the one who did this to your dad, Haru-chan…"

Haru simply shook her head and then gave him one of her rare, though highly effective determined glances. "You might have done this, it is true, but it was to save his life and ours. I cannot imagine how tough it must have been for you, Akechi-kun."

"I will bring your father back to you" Akechi said with a short nod of his head. "I promise."

* * *

It took a couple of days until they were all settled inside Mementos, during which neither Akira or Akechi spotted Caroline and Justine. The two teenagers were discussing the circumstances as Yusuke positioned his canvas at the center of the room with a satisfied look on his face. Sojiro looked annoyed after being prohibited to smoke whenever the teenagers were around –which happened quite often- and Sae was desperately trying to make the place cleaner and look cozier. Haru would often kneel down by her father and make sure he was comfortable, often whispering something into his ear because she was convinced he could hear her no matter what. Ann and Ryuji were fighting loudly over the fact that the blond boy wanted to find a way to make his TV and Playstation work in the Metaverse, while the other was trying to talk some sense into him.

"You just can't, Ryuji! There's no power in here!" Ann was saying, but Ryuji would retort with a "How do you know? We never tried!"

"Do you even see any power outlets around here?!"

Morgana was rolling his eyes as he licked his paws, while Futaba smirked as she typed at the speed of light on her wireless laptop. "All I need to do is go back to the real world, charge it quickly and come back here" she said proudly to Makoto, as the dark-haired girl passed by her to put down the bags with groceries.

"This is all I could buy that doesn't require cooking. Tomorrow we're buying a portable grill" she announced happily, but Sae simply scoffed. "I need a correct and balanced diet to keep myself in shape."

"Then I can go back to the real world and cook something for you" Makoto replied, waving her hand carelessly and causing Sae to widen her eyes in fear. "You crazy? I won't allow you to risk your life because of my diet!"

"Then you will have to do with what you've got" Makoto shrugged. "However, we _are_ eventually going back. We need to stop Shido. He is the reason why you're here in the first place."

Sae opened her mouth to retort angrily, but Makoto cut her off. "Sis, you promised."

The elder girl closed her mouth with a resigned expression, though her eyes told otherwise. When Akechi came over to help Makoto with sorting the groceries, the girl smiled a toothy smile. "Hey there, stranger."

"Stranger? Shall I introduce myself and charm you all over again?" Akechi joked and Makoto giggled and punched him lightly on the arm. As they worked in silence, Makoto felt Akechi's intense gaze on her, and knew he needed to tell her something.

"Listen, I-" he paused as he thought, sorrow written all over his face. "I just heard the police have closed Tamiko-chan's case as a yakuza casualty…"

"What? But it's not true! It was Shido's fault!" Makoto protested outraged, but Akechi simply shook his head, though he was as disappointed as her. "I know, though technically it was Igor who killed her." Akechi stopped for a few seconds and clutched his hands. "But I wanted to tell you I am attending her funeral."

"What?" Makoto widened her eyes. "But you can't! Shido is after you, he will know you're going to be there!"

"I know" Akechi nodded seriously "which is why I am not going to introduce myself at the actual service. I will hide somewhere until it's finished, and then I am paying my respects and leave."

Makoto didn't know that to tell him: a part of her really didn't want him to go because she was extremely scared Shido would find him, but the other part of her knew there was no stopping him and it was only right he went. She ended up nodding in defeat, and he smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "Thanks" he whispered, before standing up and heading toward the exit.

* * *

It was heart-breaking to say the least. Tamiko-chan's family and friends looked devastated, but her mother in particular couldn't stop crying and sobbing desperately, trying to find some sort of comfort in her husband's arms. Akechi couldn't stand the thought of having caused so much pain to all those people, who had nothing to do with him or the circumstances he was in. He couldn't stop thinking that he was the reason why Tamiko-chan would never come back to her family, to her crying mother.

He considered leaving multiple times as he hid behind a large cherry tree, away from everyone's eyes, but he realized it was not right. He couldn't run away like a coward because he deserved to suffer along with the others, because he was responsible. And because it was only right he stayed. For Tamiko.

He patiently waited until the ceremony was over, and watched as every family member and friend paid their respects and left a gift for the late girl. When the last person had left, Akechi observed quietly as Tamiko's father literally had to drag his wife from their daughter's tombstone. The car door closed and the vehicle soon sped up and was out of his line of sight. Only then did the brown-haired boy come out of his hideout, took a careful look around to make sure no one else was there with him, and slowly approached the site as if there were some kind of repelling spell surrounding it. He forced his legs to move forward until he was facing the large stone with Tamiko's name on it. He didn't have much to offer at this point, because an apology would be utterly unnecessary. And so, he picked up some wild flowers and stuffed a hand in his pocket, where he retrieved all the notes he had written and that she had kept. He placed the flowers on the tombstone, then put the notes in an envelope he had previously bought, sealed it and buried it beside the tombstone. He stood there for a while, in silence, reading her name on the stone until it lost its meaning, and then he left without a word, for no word could ever express his sorrow.

* * *

 **Sorry for the lack of fluff between Mako and Goro in this chapter, though I did try to include a scene or two :) But I had to re-read all the previous chapters because it's been so long I almost forgot where we were in the story :O And I felt like I just needed to post a new chapter soon, so thank you again for your patience and for reading!**

 **P.S. I will try my very best and publish a new chapter before the end of the world, I promise! :D**


	18. Rebirth

**Well, I'm getting really bad at updating, aren't I? Haven't been all that motivated lately, and I'd rather take a break and think things through than write some idiocy just to publish a new chapter on schedule. _And_ I've been very busy, too! I'm going to travel a lot the following two/three months, so I hope I can have some time to type something for you guys :)**

 **But I do want to thank each and everyone of you for following this story and reviewing it even after all this time! I still can't believe I have hit 10K+ views and gathered so many followers and reviews :O You guys are awesome and keep me motivated to finish this! On the other hand, I believe a couple more chapters and this story will (finally?) end. I just hope I won't disappoint any of you :)**

 **Well then, enjoy!**

* * *

Akechi didn't return to Mementos right away. Instead, he walked around Shinjuku Gyoen making sure no one would recognize him. His heart was burning with impatience and revenge against Shido, but he also felt like he was a burden for the rest of the Phantom Thieves: he had sworn he'd help them take Shido down, but he currently wasn't able to because Igor had taken his Personas away from him. He balled his fists as he thought of it all, and at how powerless he felt. But hadn't Cho-Cho-chan said something about a rebirth?  
"Yes, I have."  
"CRAP!"  
Akechi put a hand on his heart, feeling the fast and loud thumps against his ribcage, and ignoring the many heads that turned to stare at him worriedly. "You should really stop doing that" he yell-whispered to the butterfly, which was invisible to everyone else's eyes. "Doing what?" the girlish voice said, sounding very pleased. "Sneaking up on me and just suddenly start talking!"  
"Yeah well, sorry about that" Cho-Cho-chan replied, obviously not sorry at all. "Now, about that rebirth…"  
"Yes, what is it exactly?"  
"Well, I thought I had been clear enough" the butterfly replied with a hint of annoyance in its voice. "You cannot get your old Personas back at this point, but you may summon them under a different name and different features."  
When Akechi frowned with an unspoken question lingering in the air, Cho-Cho-chan sighed. "Your heart has the power and the will to create a whole new Persona, Goro-kun. However, you must find that power deep within yourself. I cannot help you with that, but your friends and Makoto may."  
"How?"  
"I don't know" Cho-Cho-chan replied sadly "I'm really sorry, but I don't know. I have never encountered anyone who made it. Or maybe I have, but can't recall it right now."  
"I see…" Akechi looked away, thinking hard. His friends and Makoto could help find the strength necessary to call forth a new Persona. He remembered how angry and frustrated he had felt the first time Robin revealed itself, and Akechi highly doubted this was what he was supposed to feel again to summon his powers. Could Cho-Cho-chan possibly mean he needed to feel the opposite? Because his friends and Makoto definitely didn't make him angry or frustrated…  
"I know you're confused, I'd be too" Cho-Cho-chan interrupted his train of thoughts. "But trust in the people you hold dear, and everything will be fine."  
Akechi thought it was easier said than done, but didn't say anything. He knew Cho-Cho-chan had read his thoughts, anyway.

* * *

When he finally returned to Mementos, Akechi was welcomed with the scene of a group of teenagers, a large cat and two adults sat in circle, with Okumura laying close to them, and could smell grilled meat.

"Goro-kun, you're back!" Haru gave him the largest smile he had seen on her, and he too smiled when she used his first name. The others moved to the left to make some space for him, making sure he would end up sitting beside Makoto who was eying him carefully. When he sat down, he made sure to squeeze her hand to inform her he was alright. She gave him a small side-smile. "So, what have I missed?" he asked as his stomach twitched pleasantly when the smell of meat intensified.

"Our briefing about the calling card" Futaba replied without looking up from her laptop. "I've been working on this for ages now, but I just know I did a good job!"

"She's very humble, ain't she?" everyone heard Ryuji comment with a smirk, which instantly faded when Ann elbowed him in the side.

"So basically" the hacker continued as if nothing had happened "We're going to broadcast this nice little video I made during the busiest hour. Every single screen in every single square, as well as every TV in every home, regardless of the channel people are watching, is going to show our message to Masayoshi Shido. This will act as our calling card to him."  
"That's theatrical" Akechi said with a smile, though he couldn't agree more with the idea. The mere thought of the whole nation knowing the truth about his father was already starting to make him feel better.

"You don't like it?" Futaba asked, raising an eyebrow at him.  
"I love it" Akechi said, grabbing a few chips that Haru had placed at the center for everyone to take and stuffed them in his mouth. His appetite was coming back and he was feeling more and more hopeful.

"Then get ready for a spectacular show tomorrow evening!" Futaba announced happily as she typed with one hand, the other too busy getting a plate with chips for herself. Haru and Sae were busy grilling the meat and the vegetables on the newest grill Makoto had brought back from the real world with the help of Akira and Yusuke, while Ann and Ryuji had apparently been out buying the meat. Akechi felt at peace as he ate the food and enjoying his friends' company, talking about trivial things and feeling Makoto's body heat right next to him. Sojiro ended their dinner with an excellent cup of coffee prepared with one of his secret recipes on an odd-looking machine that had taken most of the available space in his backpack. Akechi was almost feeling in heaven surrounded by the aroma of coffee and the company until Ryuji brought up the topic. "…you can't use your Personas, Goro."  
It took him a while to realize they were talking to him until his brain processed someone was using his first name. It would still take some time getting used to it.  
"Uh?" he blinked a few times until he understood what Ryuji was talking about. "Right…"  
"Hey, it's gonna be fine" Akira smiled kindly at him and Akechi nodded, though without looking at any of them in particular. He dropped his head as he thought once more of Cho-Cho-chan's words about a rebirth, and how his friends might help.  
"You don't need to do anything, you know" he heard Makoto say gently. "We can take care of your father. I can only imagine how hard it must be for you right now. And he is, after all, your father."  
"No, it's not that" Akechi said. "I do want to help."  
"Well, we'll figure something out" Akira said as he stood up and stretched, a satisfied smile plastered on his face. The smile of a boy who had enjoyed every bit of his dinner. "For now, we should rest. Tomorrow we are announcing the truth to the world, including the fact that I am, in fact, not dead."  
"It's gonna be a blast!" Ryuji jumped up to his feet and rested an arm on Akira's shoulder.

"I got some extra pillows, by the way" Yusuke pointed at a pile of white and soft-looking pillows in a corner. "Got plenty of those at the dormitories, so I imagine no one's going to miss them."  
"That's going to be of huge help. Heaven knows how stiff my neck has been the past nights" Makoto grinned at the sight as she instinctively massaged her neck.

"At least you managed to sleep" Akechi confessed with a tiny smirk as he lowered his voice, so that Makoto was the only one hearing. "How have you been?" she asked, visibly worried. "We can go downstairs if you want to talk in private."  
"No, my gosh no" he chuckled. "Wanna end up like last time? The Reaper is still down there somewhere, y'know."  
She smiled weakly, but her eyes definitely told him she wanted to know what was going on in his head.  
"I was at the funeral, as you know" he sighed after a moment of silence. "It was horrible… to watch all those people who loved her. And it's all my fault."  
"Stop saying that" she interrupted him, though her voice was soft and kind. She rubbed his arm as she got closer to him. "She knew the risks."  
"Heh, you sound like Cho-Cho-chan now" he smiled.  
"Who?"  
"Nothing. Nevermind" he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer, sighing satisfied when he inhaled her scent. "My life might be a wreck, but you keep it all together. Thank you."  
Makoto smiled widely as she buried her head in his shirt, returning the hug. When someone- probably Ryuji- whistled loudly, they both stepped back, their faces flushed red. "Oh c'mon, that was getting interesting!"  
"Ryuji, shut up and turn the light on your screen off!"

* * *

The broadcast went as planned, though it wasn't as successful as they had hoped it'd be: people watching enthralled in Shibuya were mostly interested in seeing the face of the leader of the Phantom Thieves, forgetting to get outraged when they revealed the truth about Shido on live TV. Some people were commenting how Shido had always seemed fishy, while others were discussing excitedly about whom the young people on the screen could really be.  
"One of them must be really short, though. Maybe like six or seven years old!"  
"Yeah, or maybe it's a costume. I mean, it did look like a monster cat or something!"  
"Grrrr" Morgana was fuming angrily in Akira's bag, the boy smirking slightly at the cat's reaction. "I'll show them who's six years old!"  
"Ah well" Makoto sighed "At least the truth's out and Shido must have seen this. We can start the preparations to infiltrate the Palace now."  
The teenagers quickly returned to Mementos to inform Sae and Sojiro that their plan was proceeding well, and they were ready to take Shido down. "Sis, just because I'm letting you do this I want you to know I do not wish for you to get hurt. Please, just promise me you'll be careful and you'll come back in one piece" Sae said, visibly worried for her little sister who smiled determinedly at her and nodded. "I will, sis."  
Akechi wouldn't say he was eavesdropping on their conversation; he was simply close enough to hear, and Sae wasn't exactly keeping her voice down. However, he turned the other way, realizing more than ever that he wouldn't be able to do much to save Makoto if she found herself in trouble. After all, he could only count on his own fighting skills…  
"Well then, gather up" Akira announced once Sojiro was done with his paternal speech to both Futaba and himself for the umpteenth time. The man was still glancing at them worriedly, but didn't dare to speak up again after Futaba sent him a warning look. "We have all the elements in our favor to win this" the black-haired boy was saying with his usual confident smile. "A great Nav, amazing fighters and excellent communication skills and co-op. However, do not underestimate the enemy. Remember he is at his maximum alert right now, and that Shido is indeed a powerful man. We have had the chance to see what his Palace looks like and what the Shadows he's using are capable of. They're not easy opponents, and I don't expect Shido to be any less powerful." Akira then stopped to glance at Akechi, who was stubbornly looking ahead. "Goro, I know you won't change your mind and therefore I won't stop you from joining us. After all, this is your battle. Just remember we're here for you, and you can always count on us. If you ever feel like you need a break, feel free to say so."  
Akechi lifted his chin to meet Akira's kind eyes, and he nodded. "Thanks, Akira."  
"Spoken like a true leader!" Morgana chirped. "Now, whenever you're ready…"

* * *

Makoto refused to leave his side, sending him careful looks whenever she thought he was distracted. He knew she was very worried about him and his feelings but at the same time, it made him feel like a sick child being held under surveillance by his mother. "Let's head to the central passage and take the elevator up from there" Akechi announced, more as a way to break the unnerving silence. "Right. This way" Akira nodded approvingly and ran down the hallway where they took a left, pushing past the guests who were amiably sipping their champagne. They all stepped inside the elevator, squeezing against each other to make sure everyone would fit and someone pushed the button. The doors closed and the elevator was shooting up at a high speed until it suddenly stopped, revealing what looked like an amphitheater. The eight teenagers and Mona stopped at the very top, watching down the large chamber where Masayoshi Shido himself was standing. The man knew about their presence, but was purposely ignoring them until they descended the stairs and finally faced him.  
"Shido!" Ryuji shouted angrily once he was close enough.  
Akechi could feel his companions' eyes on him, but he remained silent and wore a stoic expression. His eyes wouldn't leave Shido's face, as the man glared at him sourly before diverting his eyes. "Congratulations on getting out of here alive the first time, Akechi."  
Akechi simply lifted his chin, his lips forming a tight line. He felt Makoto brush her hand against his and he slowly intertwined his fingers with hers. He quickly let go, however, when he noticed Shido was staring intently at them, an evil smirk playing on his lips.  
The man diverted his eyes once again and looked at each one of them lazily, as if he couldn't wait to get rid of them once and for all. "You may have escaped once Akechi, but I will make sure this place will be your tomb."  
"How dare you?!" Yusuke intervened outraged. "He is your son!"  
"Is he now?" Shido asked, lifting a brow and giving him a bored look. "Thought so. He reminds me too much of that woman." He spat the last word, making Akechi's blood boil with rage.  
"I must admit, kid. You're sharp, but not enough. How could you possibly think a child like you could trap the great Masayoshi Shido? What an "ace" detective you are" Shido laughed mockingly "standing beside me all this time, yet you couldn't see through my plans."  
The man's smirk grew even wider when he saw his son's hands ball into fists. "I will kill you, Akechi. I cannot allow you to live. You know too much about my past. I was planning on getting rid of you as soon as I became prime minister anyway."  
"He's completely out of his mind!" Ann whispered, tears in her blue eyes. Haru was as shocked to hear a father speak such words to his own son, and the girl brought both hands to her chest. "Goro-kun…"  
Akechi could feel Makoto shaking with pure rage beside him, but he forced himself to remain calm. "Let him talk" he said simply "He will be confessing all his crimes soon enough."  
"Ah ah ah!" Shido laughed loudly, his voice echoing throughout the large chamber. "Me confessing my crimes?! I may not be innocent, my boy, but you are as guilty as I am, if not more!"  
"Let's just finish this" Akira shook his head, visibly disappointed. He had hoped that telling the truth about his son to Shido could've brought some sense into the man, but he had obviously been mistaken. He should've known that men like him never changed when their hearts were rotten to the core.  
"I was willing to spare your lives, apart from my precious son's of course, and grant you wealth and status. But I see it is useless. Very well, it seems the ignorant masses are doomed to remain as such. I have no choice but to eliminate you all. A small leak will sink a great ship. Great nations have fallen to such lenience. I will not make such incautious mistakes!"  
The Phantom Thieves all jumped and looked behind their backs when they heard a big round of applause echoing all around them, people in dark suits standing from their seats around the chamber to give their approval to Shido. And then they all realized: the placer was not a real amphitheater after all, more like the chamber where the prime minister of Japan himself made his speeches to the world. When Shido gestured for them to return to their seats with a smirk, the men disappeared as the chamber shifted, and Shido's station moved higher up. Yusuke was the first to act, as he jumped forward and landed on one of the moving platforms, before the ceiling above them would close completely, blocking them from Shido. The others followed suit, swiftly jumping on the platform until they reached the last level and just in time to see Shido's transformation: he still had a humanoid form, however his outfit had changed into those of a high rank commander, and his face was covered by a spiky, white mask. The man crossed his arm, challenging them as he sat on top of a gigantic golden lion. "Holy shit" Ryuji said as he struggled to keep Shido in his field of vision, for the lion occupied most of the space available. "Goro, you ready for this?" Akechi heard Akira call his name, and he nodded. "I've waited all my life for this." When Shido's lion roared ferociously, they all know it was on. The Phantom Thieves called forth their Personas, and Akechi could do nothin but watch as the creatures appeared one by one. Robin or Loki never came, no matter how hard he focused, and yet he wasn't expecting them to. He tightened the grip around the only weapon he had to defend himself, his sword and ran after the others to dodge Shido's deadly attacks. His eyes were scanning his surroundings as he tried to keep a close watch on his companions and, particularly, Makoto. He would not allow her to get hurt or worse because of his father, and he was ready to take the shot for her if that meant saving her. "Goro-kun."  
A soft voice spoke into his ear and he turned to look at Cho-Cho-chan, flapping its wings above his shoulders. "What're you doing here?!"  
"I thought I could guide you, though I must be honest with you and tell you I don't know how. But I will do my best and won't leave your side."  
Now he had to watch out for Cho-Cho-chan too. Just great.  
"I can take care of myself" it said, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Can you?"  
Akechi ignored it as he ran toward the large golden lion and lifted his sword, using all the strength he had. He didn't even scratch the solid surface, however, and he looked up with wide eyes. All the others seemed to be doing an alright job, considering that the lion Shido was controlling was almost the size of the entire room, and it looked untouchable. When Yusuke and Makoto both landed a successful attack with their Personas, Shido gritted his teeth and the lion jumped high up in the air. They all repaired their heads with their arms, expecting the lion to try and land on them but the beast never did: when they all looked up moments later, the lion had developed wings and was flapping them to keep itself hovering above them.  
"I will destroy you!" Shido shouted with a creepy smirk, and his eyes focused on Akechi, burning with an unsettling light. "Starting from the weakest!"  
The lion lifted a claw, preparing to strike him but Akechi was faster and managed to roll away from it before it could hit him. Shido wouldn't stop there, though and ordered the beast to chase him down. The boy could do nothing but run in circle and jump out of the way whenever he felt Shido was about to strike again, and could only hope the others would do something to help.  
"Goro, are you alright?!"  
He could only give the thumb-up as he panted loudly, out of breath from running so much. "Very well, let's try this then!" Shido exclaimed triumphantly, as a beam of light was shot from the lion's mouth directly at him. "Crap, crap, crap!" he screamed louder and louder as he watched powerlessly as the killing light approached him. He shut his eyes before it could hit him, but he never got to know what he'd have felt if the attack had been successful for Makoto's Persona had intercepted it and created a shield between the boy and his opponent, a shield which promptly shattered with the intense impact. "You little bitch!" Shido said through gritted teeth, his eyes flashing dangerously and now fully focused on Makoto, who stepped back in fear. "Why are you even risking your life for such a worthless scumbag? Let him die and be reunited with that whore of a suicidal mother of his!"  
Akechi was breathing heavily again, though it had nothing to do with the intense physical activity. His heart was pounding loudly against his chest, the blood in his veins boiling with such rage he was sure he had never felt before, and if that was not enough to summon a new Persona he didn't know what would work at that point.  
"Goro-kun, do something!"  
Cho-Cho-chan was screaming at him and Akechi followed everyone's gaze until his eyes fell on a paralyzed Makoto, who was watching as Shido dismounted from the lion and graciously landed in front of her, his yellow eyes never leaving her scared ones. With a lazy wave of his hand, the golden beast quickly disappeared and he took a few more steps toward her. "STAY AWAY FROM HER!" Akechi shouted as the scene in front of him unfolded in slow motion: the other Phantom Thieves had shot forward to help their friend pretty much at the same time, but he was ahead of them all, and Shido had taken the cloak off himself and tossed it to the side to reveal a mountain of muscles and metallic tubes wrapped around his torso. His glasses had fallen off somewhere after he had dismissed the large lion, but he didn't seem to be needing them at the moment. He lifted his right arm and hit her square in the face, making her spin around and land several feet away, unconscious. Akechi stopped after the shock of watching the man he hated the most hitting the girl he loved with such violence and brutality. A murderous instinct awoke deep within, as a mix of hatred, rage, guilt and pity burned inside him.  
"I think this is it" Cho-Cho-chan whispered in awe. "I think that's what it takes…"  
Akechi was feeling dizzy, his head was spinning like crazy and he brought a hand to his forehead to try and steady himself. His vision blurred and he instinctively closed his eyes to avoid getting sick, and he heard the voices of the others calling his name, though they felt weak and distant. He could feel every vein in his body pulsate and his heart thump in his ears. And then everything around him stopped. He felt nothing but calmness. All was quiet, and dark. He was breathing normally now as he stood right where he was, at the center of darkness.  
"Goro..! Goro..! GORO!"  
He opened his eyes, and whoever was standing in front of him trying to shake him out of his trance widened his eyes in fear and fell backwards. When Akechi looked up, meeting his father's eyes he smirked triumphantly at how horrified he looked, and he knew he had succeeded. A new Persona was born. Or better, reborn.  
"What's happening to him?" Haru asked in awe to no one in particular, for the others looked just as enthralled and had completely forgotten about the battle they had been fighting mere moments before. "It ends here, father" Akechi said with disdain but he spoke the next words with pride, almost shaking with excitement. "Come, Alastor!"  
The circular chamber slowly darkened as if they were suddenly under the night sky with no moon nor stars. Just pure darkness that seeped through and surrounded them until none of them could see their own friends or Personas. The Phantom Thieves could only hear their own, terrified voices calling each other or their creatures. They all heard Shido yell "what's happening?!" in a horrified tone that only amused Akechi even more. Then everything was quiet again when they heard a rattling noise from behind them and someone actually screamed when a pair of blood-red eyes floated past them.  
"What's that?!"  
"Reveal yourself" Akechi commended and, as slowly as before, the room became immersed into light again, though a very dim one. His companions gasped when they saw what was in front of them: a humanoid creature –around eight feet tall- wearing a pitch black and scaly armor from head to toe was floating beside Akechi with the help of large wings, deep red eyes flashing from behind the dark helmet. The creature was wielding a long, black lance with red runes carved into the blade and its red cloak fluttered elegantly behind it. After a long silence, Shido finally burst into a high-pitched laughter. "Well congrats, kid! You got yourself one of those monsters, so what? I'm gonna crush you no matter what!"  
The others kept turning their heads from Shido to Akechi, unsure of what to do. Akira's eyes briefly met Akechi's, and the black-haired boy nodded. "Stay back, everyone" he ordered, earning himself a confused look from the others. "This is his battle."  
No one dared to contradict their leader, probably still shocked from the sudden appearance of the almighty-looking creature in Akechi's control. If Loki had been intimidating, Alastor was definitely giving off invincible vibes, and none of them wanted to be in Shido's shoes in that moment.  
They all had to give the man credits for his courage- or just plain stupidity- in front of the new Persona, for Shido was still standing proudly and holding eye-contact with his son.  
Akechi briefly glanced at the unconscious body of Makoto lying a few feet from him, where Ann was currently crouched to check up on her friend, then he nodded a silent command like he used to do with Loki. Alastor simply cocked a head to the side, then it slowly raised its left arm, the one free from the lance, and pointed three fingers at Shido before dropping the arm by its side as slowly. Shido blinked a few times, expecting something to happen. However, when several seconds had passed without nothing happening, the man laughed hard again and mocked his son. "Is that all you can do? You look all scary and stuff, but are incapable of even harming a fly! What a disappointment!"  
The other Phantom Thieves looked at each other worriedly, some of them biting their lower lip in distress because, even though no one dared to utter a word, they were secretly wondering what Akechi was playing at.  
The brown-haired boy smirked imperceptibly and remained rooted to the spot, allowing Shido to jump forward and punch him right in the stomach. The boy doubled over and kneeled down with a low grunt, but didn't counterattack. Instead, he looked up at Alastor, which suddenly hit the cold floor once with the butt of its lance, and then stared ahead at its enemy without moving.  
Akechi stood up and repositioned himself next to Alastor, obviously not going to make another move which gave Shido a new chance to land a series of painful combos on the teenager. Akechi stoically resisted as a few drops of blood trailed down from his nose. He wiped it away with his hand and smiled at Shido, opening both his arms as to invite him to hit him again. Shido was now as confused as the others seeing that his son was not doing anything to attack or defend himself, but merely placed himself by the dark-armored creature after sustaining another attack. The Persona hit the floor again, this time twice and then returned still.  
"What the hell is he doin'?!" Ryuji asked angrily, ready to step in to help but Akira blocked him with his arm and shook his head. "I fully trust him" he said simply.  
"Wise young man" Cho-Cho-chan commented proudly, causing Ryuji to look at it. "And what the hell are you?!"  
"Shut up and look!"  
Shido attempted one last attack, which Akechi endured as usual, and then watched as Alastor hit its lance against the floor three times.  
"Ops" Akechi suddenly announced with a smirk. "Countdown's over, _daddy_."  
Shido frowned upon hearing his words, and seemed to be about to open his mouth to say something when he suddenly froze, his eyes widening with fear. He was definitely seeing something they couldn't see, because when he finally did open his mouth it was to scream a long, horrible scream. He was still yelling desperately, begging "it" to stop as he brought both his hands to his head, holding it as if he were about to lose it anytime. "What's happening to him?" Haru whispered as she instinctively wrapped her hands around Akira's arm, watching the terrible scene in front of her. "MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE, MAKE IT STOP! NO MORE…" As Shido kept screaming at whatever he was seeing, his body slowly returned to its normal shape as the metallic tubes detached from it and fell to the floor with a loud thud. "YES, I'LL CONFESS!" Shido was saying. "I SWEAR, JUST MAKE IT STOP!"  
When Akechi nodded at Alastor, the creature lifted its free arm again and opened the palm of its hand. As suddenly as it had started, the pain and the sorrow Shido was experiencing ceased and the man- now in his normal state- fell to his knees, still sobbing desperately. "Please, no more…"  
"It's over, you bastard. Now you must make amend for all the shit you caused" Ryuji said as the others made a circle around the crying Shadow. "I will" Shido said. "I promise. And you…" he looked at Akira, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I am so sorry for what I did to you. You're that kid I brought to court, I remember now… And Goro…" Shido turned to look at his son, a silent apology in his eyes, but Akechi's job was over. He wasn't interested in listening to that man apologize for driving his mother crazy and offering him a life of sadness and abandonment, before turning him into a killer. He would have to live the rest of his life in regret. "See you on the other side, Shido" he spat out before turning around to pick up Makoto, who was still laying on the floor unconscious, and leave.

* * *

"May I at least know how serious it is?"  
Akechi nearly rolled his eyes when Sae asked him about her sister's conditions for the umpteenth time. He perfectly understood her concern- for he too was worried- but she was literally assailing him with questions or angry statements every few seconds. He couldn't recount how many times he had been forced to hear "You promised she'd be safe!" and "Can you tell me exactly what happened?" and he patiently answered every time as he waited for Makoto to wake up. He refused to leave her side ever since he had returned to Mementos with her, regularly checking up on her and watching as she breathed softly. He smiled at Sakura-san when he too kneeled down beside him to observe Makoto.  
"She looks like she's sleeping" the man said kindly. He then placed a hand on the girl's forehead and smiled at Sae. "Do not worry, she will be fine. Though she will probably wake up with a bad headache."  
"Bah" was Sae's comment as she crossed her arms and bit her lower lip, staring at her little sister. "What did you get yourself into, Mako..?"  
As she finished muttering the words, the rest of the teenagers made their sudden entrance to Mementos too, followed as usual by Morgana. "You're back!" Sakura-san exclaimed merrily when he saw them step inside the room, his eyes particularly focused on Futaba and Akira. "Goro said you did it."  
"We did" Akira nodded, a hint of pride in his voice. "Shido will finally confess all his crimes."  
"The authorities owe you quite some apologies" Haru commented, but Akira shook his head. "It's ok. I would never have met you guys had it not been for this experience. Of course, it will be nice not to be addressed to as a criminal any longer, but still…"  
"Yeah, yeah. We get it!" Ryuji nudged him in the side with his usual punk-smirk. "Oh, how about Mako-chan?" Ann interrupted them as she ran by her friend's side.  
"She'll recover, though she needs to rest for now" Akechi reassured, taking Makoto's warm hand in his. It made him so incredibly relieved her pulse was regular and her conditions seemed stable after a hit like that. She was indeed a strong girl…  
He felt Ann's stare and turned just in time to see her smile warmly at him, and he quickly looked away. He still felt awkward when he showed affection towards other human beings whenever someone was watching, though he definitely made some progress ever since he met them all.  
"So what's the plan, now?" Yusuke asked.  
"Well, I thought we could stay here a little longer" Akira replied. "After all, it always takes some days if not weeks before the person whose heart has been changed to confess. And Shido's men are still after us, so we're better off keeping a low profile until he has made his move."  
"Well said!"  
Apparently Cho-Cho-chan had appeared out of the blue without anyone noticing, but her excited voice grabbed everyone's attention.  
"I'm still not sure you've introduced yourself…" Ryuji said as he eyed the butterfly suspiciously.  
Cho-Cho-chan turned to Akechi, pressing him to continue and the boy sighed. "Guys, that is ehm… a creature that saved my life in Shido's Palace. Remember when I got shot by Shido's cognition of me?"  
"So I am _that creature_?" Cho-Cho-chan puffed up outraged, and her bluish aura momentarily flashed red. "Ehm…" Akechi wasn't sure what to say, for the butterfly never really told him what exactly it was, or where it came from. After all, it did say it didn't have any memories. "I'm sorry, you have been extremely helpful!"  
"You bet I have!" Cho-Cho-chan raised its voice as its tiny eyes flashed with anger. It then cleared its voice, which returned to being much softer. "It seems like your friend has no respect for others, particularly for those who saved his life" the creature eyed him with disdain before proceeding. "I unfortunately do not possess any memories of my past self, nor do I recall my real name. So I have decided to keep the name that _boor_ gave to me. So I am Cho-Cho-chan. At least for the time being, and yes, I saved the boor when he lost his mind and then got shot by his own self."  
"Being a little too harsh there, aren't we?" Akechi commented rolling his eyes, but the butterfly sent him a threatening look. "Don't interrupt me, boor."  
Akechi mouthed the word "boor" before deciding It would be best not to upset the creature further, and returned to focus on Makoto. "I know you" Akira suddenly said. "You're that mystical butterfly that advised me during Sae-san's interrogation. You cleared my thoughts and helped me find the answer I was looking for…"  
"See?" Cho-Cho-chan was speaking directly to Akechi again, its voice sour. "Someone here has manners!"  
"Oh thank you, I know that!" Akechi gave the butterfly a wide smile, which made it send red sparkles everywhere. "Woah, calm down, jeez!" Ryuji exclaimed through gritted teeth after dodging one.

"Mhm…"  
Makoto's faint grunt made everyone fall silent instantly. Every single pair of eyes was set on her figure sprawled on several layers of bed sheets Akechi had taken from the others to make sure she'd be comfortable. The girl slowly opened her eyes, frowning at the faint light in the room and grunting even more once she had regained consciousness. "Mako!" Sae instantly ran by her side and crouched down beside her sister. "How are you feeling?"  
Everyone stepped a little bit closer, though keeping a certain distance just to make sure she'd have enough oxygen and wouldn't panic after being surrounded by a crowd of worried faces. Makoto tried sitting up, but a pair of strong arms held her down. She lazily looked up and was met with Akechi's reddish-brown ones that both radiated concern and an intense happiness. "Rest" he said softly. "You've had a tough day."  
Sae nodded approvingly as Sakura-san poured some water for her in a tall glass, and then handed it to her. She was allowed to assume a somewhat sitting position just for enough time to drink a few sips of the water, before being pushed down onto the soft sheets and pillow again. "I'm fine, really!" she complained, though her head was pounding non-stop. "You are" Morgana said. "But take it easy, alright?"  
"But hey!" Makoto suddenly widened her eyes and almost spilled the rest of the water on her. "What happened with Shido? Last thing I remember was being attacked by him…"  
She trailed off, a mix of sadness and disappointment in her voice. Maybe she didn't like admitting she had been instantly knocked out and consequently unable to help her friends during the battle.  
"Well" Akira smirked proudly again as he glanced at Akechi. "I guess your boyfriend will be more than happy to give you the details when you're feeling better. All you need to know for now is that we did it."  
Akechi and Makoto both blushed furiously at Akira's words. After all, they never really made their relationship official, though everyone knew about it. "S-so, Shido has been defeated" she stuttered awkwardly, trying to change topic.

"Yes, thanks to Goro-kun!" Haru smiled victoriously, followed by the others.

"He was aaaawesome!" Ryuji butted inn excitedly, a light in his eyes the others had only seen whenever he was about to start one of his long rambles about a videogame or manga he loved.  
"But that's a story for another time, yes?" Ann interrupted him by pressing a hand against his mouth, the blond boy frowning and trying to break free as he was being forcefully pushed away from Makoto's spot. One by one, everyone walked the opposite way to give Makoto some privacy. The teenagers were all engaged in their favorite activities, while Morgana talked animatedly with Cho-Cho-chan to question it about its residual memories of its past self. Sakura-san was brewing some coffee and Sae would constantly make sure her little sister was comfortable. "How's your headache?" Akechi asked after several minutes, seeing as the girl couldn't manage to go back to sleep after the news she had received.  
"It's quite bad, but I am not complaining. I'm happy Shido has been dealt with. Now we can all live a better life. You can live a better life" she said with a bright smile. He could see she was genuinely happy for him, but he couldn't return that smile. He lowered his head and began fumbling with the hems of his shirt. "What's wrong?" she asked, after observing him for a while. "I-" he thought about telling her there and then, but he also realized how bad an idea it was. She was still recovering, and they were surrounded by all of their loved ones…  
"Nothing" he smiled at her and took her hand again, feeling some hope burning inside him when she squeezed his. "I thought we could go out when this is all over. When Shido has confessed, that is."  
"Oh, like a proper date?" she asked, her eyes lighting up with excitement and he chuckled. "Like a proper date."  
"We've been through so much, haven't we?" Makoto said again after a long pause, during which she had been drawing invisible circles on the palm of his hand. "It's going to be nice to relax a bit."  
"Yeah" he whispered, Makoto unable to catch the sadness in his voice. "It is…"

* * *

 **So, just a few trivia for the most curious :)**

 **I chose Alastor as Akechi's reborn Persona (or ultimate Persona, as I like to call it!) because Alastor was, according to Greek mythology, the personification of revenge and family disputes, so I thought it was quite perfect to represent Akechi's fight against his father. He has two main attacks: one is the ability to enter and manipulate someone's mind (Bull's Eye), and the other is called Finis Vitae (or The End), and I won't reveal just yet what it does :P But yeah, Alastor is pretty badass and OP. When it comes to the way it looks, I have been inspired by a few amazing drawings I found on Google while I was researching! Also, when it comes to summoning "ultimate" Personas, I like to think that rage and hatred are not enough, unlike the "normal" Personas. As Cho-Cho-chan says, a Trickster needs the aid of their friends and loved ones too in order to call forth such a powerful entity. And so, I thought that one has to feel the anger and frustration that naturally come from injustice, as well as pity for the one who commits the crime and love for the ones who give them strength. These together will give the Trickster enough power to summon an ultimate Persona.**

 **Also, uhm... right, a date in next chapter! And... what is Akechi suddenly so sad for? Any ideas, anyone? No? Then, tune in to find out what's going on in our poor ace detective's mind!**


End file.
